SAGA
by Papersak
Summary: No one knew that these dancers all had other sides to them, but you know better than anyone that any person could posses a Shadow, and you'll once again have to help them overcome their dark sides to stop another criminal.
1. Chapter 1

IF YOU HAVE PLAYED...

**Persona 4** - You should be able to follow this fic just fine! You'll notice that... the plot is rather identical, but I wrote this for the sake of developing the DDR characters, not so much for a solvable mystery. I should note that for the most part, the previous characters will not appear in this fanfiction. I don't think I'll give Souji a girlfriend, we'll say he loved everyone equally. xD If you've never seen the DDR characters, neither has Souji so you can learn about them as he does. While I try to keep personalities and statuses canon, the relationships and interactions consist of a lot of misleading fan-made stuff. Again, you don't need any previous "Knowledge", but if you want the facts, you can totally check out the DDR websites. I haven't really picked which ending this fic takes place after, but one of the good ones. Forgive my lack of knowledge about tarot cards... I spent like an hour reading over which ones to use before I gave up.

**DDR** - A few technical lingoes will be funky, and I kinda suggest you look things and characters up if you get confused. There are also spoilers scattered throughout the fic, but while this makes more sense to P4 players, I'll keep in mind that the DDR readers will probably outnumber them. I'll try to avoid saying who the killer was in P4. Again, this is from the perspective of the main character who already experienced P4, so I don't want to spend a lot of time on backstory.

Those are prolly the only important notes that I can think of... so yeah. Here goes~

* * *

Another year, another relocation.

Years after the murder crimes in Inaba, you were going to a university in Japan, but you found out that you could study abroad that August in New York City, and you had to take a number of planes to make it there. You found yourself dozing off on the final plane...

_"Welcome to the Velvet Room."_

At first, you were puzzled, but then you remembered that voice. It was that of Igor, the strange man who helped you years before.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it?" he said with a grin hidden somewhere under his awkwardly large nose. He sat in a chair with a table before him, and his set of blue cards were evenly scattered on the surface. You noticed you were in the same dark limousine you were in once before.

"I have called upon you once again, bearing news of upcoming events. I hope you haven't forgotten your contract, for I have a new prediction."

He waved his hand over a card to his left, or to your right.

"The Fool, in the upright position," he started. "A card to represent a new start... a journey that you must be the leader of, with no definite path. Hmm... another piece of your future..."

He flipped another card on the other side.

"The Magician," he said. "A symbol of power... power you must utilize to find the future you desire."

He folded his hands back under his chin. "I believe, with your skills and Personas, you will need to lead another journey, with new elements that may take you in a direction you didn't expect. Follow what you believe is right, and you will obtain the ideal ending to your journey."

He nodded. "I will bring you here again when I need to," he told you. "Until then... farewell..."

You bolted awake. You were definitely hoping for changes but... you weren't looking forward to studying and going through another journey with your Personas.

The thoughts left you wondering... how similar would this adventure be to your previous one? Would you run into Shadows again? Would you need to save people from their own dark sides?

And, the thought that left you the most concerned: would there be another string of murders...?

Surely, with your experiences, you could stop a potential killer in his tracks. You felt there was no point in worrying about it. You just had to watch your surroundings for any signs.

You had already looked ahead at what subway would get you to your destination. The short nap you took on the plane helped you make it through the last few steps to your new home; subway, to bus, to your dorm. You had packed as light as you could while still trying to survive a semester: two large wheeled suitcases of clothes and hygiene necessities, as well as your wallet with your newly obtained U.S. currency.

You were given the opportunity to meet a few other exchange students, but you didn't hang out for long due to the long ride. When you arrived in your dorm room, you were greeted by three other guys.

One of them was a boy that looked the same age or older than you. "Hey," he said, "are you the exchange student?"

You weren't completely confident in your English, but your Knowledge persevered and you successfully introduced yourself as Souji Seta.

The auburn haired boy smiled. "Cool. I'm Aaron Hendrix," he said. He pointed to a blonde boy who looked younger than you (but probably wasn't) playing video games. "He's Steve, and that guy," he pointed to another older, near-black haired boy who was reading, "is Robert. I guess the only thing we all have in common is we're all in college," he commented, shrugging. "But hey, we have an Asian here! You should help us all with our homework!"

"Leave 'im alone," the gamer commented playfully, "or he's gonna think we're all like you."

Well, he wasn't wrong; you were starting to get that impression.

"Don't -erk- listen to him, dude," Steve continued while playing a game, "if he needs help, just tell him to screw off."

Congratulations, you learned English slang on your first day of college life.

You told them all you were retiring to bed. On Monday, you would be starting your semester at this new school... what other people were you going to meet?

* * *

(The DDR characters and pretty much the actual story starts in the next chapter, I just wanted to get this intro sort of thing outta the way. The chapter schedule will be rather erratic, given that I haven't even finished this fanfic yet. I'm thinking when I finish a chapter or two, I'll revise an old one and then upload it. When school dtarts up again, though, expect this to come to a screeching halt soon after. Mm... feel like I'm missing something... I can't help but think I didn't revise this enough... well, until later~)


	2. Chapter 2

(And so, the good stuff starts to happen. These chapters range from like two to five pages on Word so yeah... enjoy)

* * *

In your classroom, you sat down next to a girl with blue hair. She wore a soft looking white hat and a blue skirt that resembled one for a cheerleader uniform. She noticed you immediately and greeted you.

"Hi there," she said sweetly with an Asian accent. Her childish voice sounded odd coming from someone her age (she couldn't have been more than 18, you thought), but it was cheerful and kind. "Are you new here, too?"

You told her how you came from Japan and you had transferred here for a year.

Her strange English shifted into Japanese. "Ah, you're from Japan?" she said fluently in what was apparently her native tongue. "So am I! I'm Emi Toshiba." She nodded to you and you nodded back.

You introduced yourself, again, as Souji Seta.

"It's nice to meet you, Souji," she said, returning to English. "Well... I hope you can help me in this class. I'm good at building robots, but all these theories and things hurt my head sometimes."

A minute of small talk later, the professor walked into the classroom. The students' chatter was silenced soon after and the teacher introduced himself to the class.

"Hello class," he said in a firm voice, "my name is Paul Reddout, and I'll be your instructor for this semester. If you look at the syllabus..."

He proceeded to talk about his plans for your work. You listened to the schedule; there would be periodic homework and about two tests, the true subject matter wouldn't start until next week where you would start talking about-

"Hey, Souji," Emi whispered, interrupting your thoughts. You shifted your vision in her direction and waited for her to continue.

"Do you wanna hang out with us today?" Emi asked. "Me and my friends know this cool arcade and it's good for getting away from all this technical junk. I'd love for you to meet my friends. And if you're new, maybe you don't know a lotta people, so you're more than welcome to come along if you don't have plans yet."

You pondered how going to the arcade would affect your future studies, but you had no reason to object for the time being. You nodded.

"Great!" she exclaimed, in a rather loud whisper. She glanced to the front to see if the teacher noticed, but he didn't. She smiled and looked back at you. "So, where will you be after class? Or maybe it'd be better if we just waited until Friday, cause everybody's already going then. Do you need me to show you where the arcade is? I could just meet you there..."

She suddenly began to ramble about the arcade. You sensed it was a place of significant importance to her. The two of you planned to meet at the university on Friday, and then she would show you how to get to the arcade...

–

"Here it is!" Emi exclaimed as you two stood by the front doors of the unfamiliar building. "The Extreme arcade, home to lots of DDR and Bemani. It's a lot like our arcade back home in Japan." She always referred to arcades as hers; rather, that it belonged to her group of friends. Was it like a second home? You would probably find yourself there frequently, so you made it important to remember this place.

"Well, let's go play DDR!" she said, dragging you in the arcade by your wrist. She pushed through the doors and skipped her way to a corner that was blaring J-pop music from about three different machines. She abandoned you around the machine with a logo that said "Dance Dance Revolution X." She never did explain what DDR stood for, but you assumed this was it. You had yet to learn what Bemani was, but the logo was subtly pasted onto most of the music games.

Emi ran up to a muscular man wearing a sleeveless hoodie and a blue vest. He opened his arms to welcome her and she jumped into them, giving him an energetic hug. Emi pulled this man over to you.

"Souji, meet my boyfriend Rage," Emi said happily. "Rage is part of our DDR group and Souji's in my class at college."

"Is he?" Rage commented. "You guys and your education."

Emi hit him playfully. "Rage has his own takoyaki business. He makes really great food."

"That's right," Rage bragged, "so if you ever need any catering, talk to me. And... give me the money up front."

"He forgets to ask people to pay," Emi whispered to you.

"So, have you met anybody else, Souji?" Rage asked.

Before you replied, Emi shook her head. "Nope, we're getting to that. I'll talk to you later!" Rage gave you about half of a wave before Emi pulled you off again.

After walking past a small number of strangers, you were shown to a pigtailed blonde girl wearing a pink top and a black skirt. Her black and white stockings were mismatched.

She noticed you and Emi right away. "Oh hey Emi," she greeted cooly. "Who's this guy?"

"Souji. He's a college student from Japan."

"Oh," she said, interested. "What's he doing here?"

"He's new and he said he wanted to come to the arcade in town."

Technically, you were only here to be nice to Emi, but you didn't say anything.

"Well, you'll like it here, Souji," the girl said with pride. "This arcade's probably the second best one I've been to. The best ones are in Japan, though."

"Oh, where's Akira?" Emi asked her.

"He's at the vending machine getting me some soda."

"You're welcome," a man standing behind her said. The blonde jumped from the voice. He was incredibly tall and wore a black and white outfit with a tie.

"You're lazy," Emi joked to her.

"Shut up," she replied and picked a purple bottle of soda from the stranger's hand.

"Souji, this is Yuni and Akira," Emi said. "Yuni's an actress and Akira's her bodyguard."

"Nice to meet you," Akira said formally. He was rather young to be a bodyguard, but he was definitely physically fit to be one. Slightly intimidated, you told him the same thing.

You looked to your right and a dark blue haired girl... materialized next to you. You both jumped in surprise.

"I-I'm sorry for startling you," she said quickly.

You told her it was all right.

"That's Alice," Emi said. "She's a great pop singer and dancer, but when she's not on stage, she's really shy. Still, she's one of the nicest people we know."

"Y-you don't need to say all that," she muttered, embarrassed.

Emi once again introduced you, and your new group of friends talked about random things: everything from life in Japan to the different towns you lived in. You mentioned your friends in Inaba, but you left out the parts about Personas and Shadows.

"Your friends sound really cool," Emi said. "When was the last time you saw them?"

It was a while ago... a year now? Your bonds with them were too strong to be broken by time; you made it a habit to visit Inaba every year when on vacation, though you were never able to attend the same school again.

"You must move around a lot," Yuni commented, "but it's good you get to see them sometimes. Hey, maybe we can all take a trip there one of these days. I'd wanna check out that inn you were talking about. I could probably get them some good publicity." She smiled proudly.

"Don't get too hasty, we just met him today," Akira advised.

"Ah, I almost forgot, Souji you need to play DDR with us!" Emi said with more excitement than you'd heard all day. So excited, in fact, she forgot to drag you by your arm that time. She bolted off to the DDR X machine and you reluctantly followed her.

You had never played this game before, yet everyone else was experienced. You watched as two players were stomping on the arrows. The basic concept of the game wasn't difficult; you felt you would understand it if you just paid attention. An arrow rose to the top, and then someone would hit it. Except the arrows were going so fast, it was hard for you to follow...

"Do you get how to play, Souji?" Emi asked. "It's okay if you don't get it at first, nobody does. A bunch of people here are better than other people, but we all just play together for fun. Now, when you get good, you wanna stay away from the middle 'cause you won't have time to go back and it gets confusing. The trick is to use both of your feet separately..." she rambled again. As the speed of her speech increased, her volume seemed to lower beneath the sound of the music by comparison.

Halfway through one of her sentences, an audience cheered from the game. The dancer on the right (he had a mohawk and glasses... or goggles, you couldn't tell) rejoiced for his score of an AA. He jumped off the machine and traded places with Emi. As this happened, the dancer on the left stood in place and closely observed the score (apparently the game told you how many "Marvelous," "Perfect," and other arrows you got). Emi motioned to you to get on the machine, so you awkwardly walked to the left to get the player's attention.

Upon noticing you, the silver haired player blankly stared at you with incredibly dark eyes covered by makeup, wearing a coat with furry pink sleeves. By the shape of the dancer's face hidden partially behind short hair, you assumed he was male. He said nothing as he walked off the machine.

You pulled change out of your pocket but noticed there was a card slot on the machine. You panicked but Emi had already pushed start on both sides. "It's okay, I'll pay this time," Emi said. "You gotta see if you like the game first."

You nodded. You stood there uneasily as Emi chose all the options for you. You were on Beginner mode (thank goodness) and she was on Difficult. The title of the song (Inspiration) was displayed on the screen before the music began to play. The speed was safe, but it took you most of the song to get the hang of timing your feet to the arrows. While you saw many Almosts and Misses, Emi was hitting far more arrows than you and received probably over twice as many Greats and Perfects.

As the song ended, you remembered the previous dancers. They had even more arrows and had near-perfect rhythm. But Emi was moving more than her feet; she showed joy through the way she swung her arms and moved her hips. She didn't play this game for scores, she played for fun. You were relieved that she wasn't going to make this a competition, because you would've definitely failed.

Truthfully, you still sort of felt like a failure... but at least she wouldn't hold it over you.

After the other songs ended, the two of you stepped off the machine. You followed Emi to a slightly quieter corner, though there was no place that was necessarily quiet in that arcade.

"So? Did you have fun?" she asked hopefully.

You had to admit, it was fun to be on a stage, even one that wasn't real. You briefly expressed to her how fun it was.

"Yay, I'm glad we have another person to dance with!" she exclaimed. "So we'll see you next week, too, right?"

You nodded. You're a man of few words... and Emi doesn't give you a lot of opportunity to get words in, anyway.

"Ooh, if you want to practice, I could definitely lend you one of my games. Do you want a mat? I have an extra one, too, 'cause they always seem to sell these games in bundles..."

She continued to ramble about her console version. Something about hard mats and soft mats and how easy it is to break both of them. She would give you her copy of DDR Max next week.

You walked home to get some sleep. The clouds above were ominous; you felt like it was going to rain that night.

You noticed there was a television in your room. You remembered the message from Igor... and out of curiosity, you stared into the screen. It was midnight, and rain was trickling outside.

But nothing appeared.

Perhaps there was nothing to worry about yet... you had no choice but to sleep...

* * *

(I don't know what Emi would study in college but I know she builds robots. I'm revising these chapters rather quickly, so please let me know if I wrote something stupid so I can fix it.)


	3. Chapter 3

(I sort of tried to clarify a plot element and very minor spoiler, as I doubt anyone who hasn't played P4 knows wtf the Midnight Channel is.)

* * *

On Sunday, Emi took you to Rage's takoyaki stand. The savory flavors in the battered octopus reminded you of Japan. You complimented Rage on what deemed "soul food."

"Thanks a lot!" he said. "I'm no professional, but I'm glad people like it. And this first one's free, new guy. But next time, you better bring cash." He sighed. "This business is harsh without profit..."

Emi giggled, probably because of what she told you about Rage's forgetful habits. You smirked.

"Oh yeah, did you ever hear back from your friend, Emi?" Rage asked.

"Who...? Oh, her," she began, her voice having lost some of its joy, "I haven't seen her in a while. At first, I just wanted to study some homework with her, but now I'm kinda worried..."

Curious, you asked who her friend was.

"She's actually in our class," Emi told you, "but she usually sits with some other guys. There's one boy who tutors her sometimes and she talks to him, so I usually hang out with her after my later class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. But she wasn't in my class last Thursday... and then someone spread a rumor that she had gone missing."

Your heart beat rapidly in panic, but you tried to hide your fear. Fortunately, Emi took your fallen expression as sympathy.

"I had this weird dream," Rage started, "that I saw her. I think it was her, I couldn't see her all that well. The image was kinda fuzzy."

You asked when he had that dream.

"Huh? It had to have been about two days ago. I was so tired I fell asleep in front of my TV eating snacks. That Friday when we went to the arcade. I guess trying to work this stand and play DDR in one day was too much for me."

As Emi scolded Rage for pushing himself too much, you couldn't focus on her. If the Midnight Channel worked as it had before, you would be able to see a person on television at midnight when it was raining. Several questions ran through your head... is Emi's friend in the television? Should you ask more? Is it safe to get more people involved? Did the killer know your history in Inaba...? How would he know that...? Or perhaps... maybe Rage's dream was just a dream. Though it was odd that he was dreaming about a girl who had gone missing.

"Souji?" Emi waved a hand in front of your face. You had spaced out for about a minute.

No matter how crazy you were about to sound, you had to say something in case you could save her. You asked Rage for more details about this dream.

"It's uh... kind of guy dream stuff," he said, looking at you and hoping Emi didn't hear.

"You're dreaming weird dreams about my friend?" she asked, disturbed.

"Hey, I can't control what I'm dreaming! This stuff just happens. And you don't know what I mean by 'guy stuff,' don't make it sound like I'm some kind of pervert. Have a little faith in me," he finished.

"All right," Emi said, relieved. "I trust you, after all."

As important as this may have been to them, you wanted nothing more than to make Emi leave so you can hear the rest of what Rage had to say. You noticed there was no cotton candy in this vicinity and asked Emi to go find some. You told her you'd wait by the stand.

"You don't want to see the carnival?" she asked, disappointed.

You made up some excuse... you were tired of walking.

"All right, I'll be back," she said, "and I'll get some for Rage, too."

She walked away, and once she was out of hearing range, you pleaded Rage to tell you more about the dream.

He gave you a weird look. "Do I have to...? I mean, she was saying some weird stuff."

She was saying things? You were more concerned.

"Yeah, she said stuff like 'looking for that guy with hardcore rhythm.' She was in some sci-fi club vortex thing that I can't really describe. She was trying to be sexy and stuff, talking in a low voice and wearing like half an outfit, but I have no clue who she was talking about. Not... cause I was distracted; I was more creeped out, honest! I didn't wanna say anything to Emi cause I didn't want her thinking I was, y'know, 'dreaming' about her in that way. I don't like her, I mean, I barely even know her. We took her to the arcade once and she was always around Emi."

You asked if she had ever appeared on TV before.

"Uh... no, I've never seen her. Why...?"

You figured you couldn't ask any more questions without disclosing a part of your past... so you just told him you were curious.

He shrugged. "Well, just don't tell Emi any of that dream stuff. I don't want- hey! You're back!" he said, ending that conversation. The blue haired girl had one bag of cotton candy.

"Aw, what happened to mine?" Rage said playfully.

"I was short on cash," she said, smiling apologetically, "I was hoping we could all split this one."

"Oh, well thanks for the snack," he said, now grateful.

You enjoyed the sweet cotton candy with your friends, more uneasy than you'd been since you met them.

–

As you walked home, the clouds showed signs of rain. You picked up your pace, but you were unable to avoid the drops. The more you walked, the more the rain seemed to follow you and the harder it came down. You walked inside the building and folded your soaked jacket; luckily, your clothes were still relatively dry. You regretted not taking your umbrella, however, and your hair was uncomfortably wet.

After changing into dry clothes, you checked to make sure your television was plugged in. You clicked it on and off successfully. If any night, that would be the night you would see Emi's missing friend. You waited until midnight, and the rain was pouring heavily outside.

Still, nothing happened.

You curiously touched the TV to see if your power was still there, but you failed to get through it. You only tapped the screen and you were unable to get through. Had Rage's dream only been a dream after all...?

–

The next morning was foggy...


	4. Chapter 4

(My favorite girl character, and now I really hope people have played a dose of Persona)

* * *

Your class was canceled. Your teacher sent an e-mail that he would be busy that day, and he told you to study at home. Your study habits were usually good, but you were more concerned about last night. Emi's missing friend was in that class and you had no way of finding out if she was all right.

Not knowing where Emi resided, you felt the only place to ask for information would be Rage's stand at the carnival. You stopped when you discovered there was a new... girl there. She wore a skirt with red bandaged arm warmers and matching boots, but your eyes were diverted to the fact that she had large red and black bat wings and ears. You couldn't see her hair; it was covered under a hood. Was it a costume or was that all real...?

"Souji!" you heard Rage shout. "What's up?"

You greeted him and noticed you must have offended the bat girl by staring at her too long.

"That's Zukin, by the way," he said. "Yeah, I guess you guys haven't met. She's from Japan like the rest of us."

She bowed to greet you. "I'm Devil Zukin, but I'm accustomed to being called Zukin. I've heard your name is Souji Seta."

You nodded, and then you remembered why you came here in the first place. You asked Rage if anything happened to Emi's friend. His face went dark.

"They um... they found her. She was killed."

You were shocked, though Zukin showed no sign of surprise. Her face was blank to begin with and didn't change.

"I was just telling her that and my dream," Rage continued, "and she said she had the same one."

"I don't believe it was a dream," she said. "I believe it was something we saw on television. But other than that, it doesn't make any more sense to me than it does to Rage-sama."

You frowned, frustrated. How was it they could both see the Midnight Channel and you were unable to...?

"I guess I lied to you," Rage started, "about when you asked if I'd seen her on TV. Cause if it wasn't a dream, she really was on TV."

"The television program was strange," Zukin commented. "Don't you think Emi deserves to know this, Rage-sama?"

Rage sighed. "They were friends. I don't wanna tell her anything else that's gonna bring her down."

You wanted to ask Rage if you could see his television, but you were nervous around Zukin, having just met her. Her red eyes were suspicious of you, though you weren't sure why. You waited for her to leave first.

"I believe she is entitled to know," Zukin told him, "now that we know what happened is real. I won't tell her if you want to be the one."

"Yeah, I think I'll tell her, just not today."

The girl nodded. "I will leave you alone. Thank you for sharing your information with me." She got a running start and leaped into the sky. With a large flap of her wings, she was airborne and gone.

"Sorry you gotta start your school year here on a rough note," Rage said.

You told him not to worry, but you needed to see his television.

Rage gave you an odd look again. "I... guess you can. I'll leave here at around 8:00. Meet me here then and I'll show you my house. You can meet my roommate if he's home, too."

You nodded and pondered if you should simply tell Rage everything about the mystery in Inaba. If you could successfully get in his TV, it would be time to tell. You told him not to tell Emi anything, then decided you would go back at night.

–

Rage knocked on the door to his apartment. When there was no reply, he grumbled and pulled out his keys. You assumed no one was home, which was good... you didn't want everyone to know your secret unless you could trust them.

Rage opened the door. "Well, this is my home," he said. "I don't do a great job cleaning it, and neither does my roommate. I think he's at work tonight. If you're still interested in my TV, it's over there," he continued, directing you to a small television a few feet in front of the couch in the main room. Curiously, you touched the screen...

And your hand fell in.

Part of you wondered if Rage noticed...

"Whoa!"

He did.

"Did you just break it?" he asked angrily, yanking your wrist out of the screen. He calmed down when he noticed there was nothing wrong with his television. Noting this, he put your hand back in. His did this about two times before asking "how are you doing that?"

You asked him if he wanted to hear a long story.

"Sure... why not?"

You sighed, pondering where to start... and then you told him about Inaba. You described how you and your friends progressed with the mystery; the Midnight Channel showed who would be kidnapped and thrown into the television next, there were multiple culprits and misunderstandings, but your group saved each other from being killed in the TV world by Shadows.

"No way... Emi's friend was killed in the TV?" he said with regret. "That's why... man, if I knew what was going on when you asked me I could've-"

You told him it wasn't his fault. Surely, if you had told him sooner there was something you could do.

"But you need a bigger TV to fit in, right? I don't think mine's gonna work... you know, we should check out blondie... I mean Yuni's mansion. She's gotta have a bigger TV than mine. But there's a bunch of things that don't add up... didn't you say they appeared on TV before the Midnight Channel? I never saw her, and Emi woulda told me if she was on TV..."

You also told him that it was odd that you were unable to watch the Midnight Channel from your television.

"Really? There must be something special about Zukin's TV and mine. Nobody else has told me about their TVs doing anything weird... then again, Zukin's the only person I know who stays up till midnight all the time." He sighed. "Well, I'm glad my roomate's not here to hear all of this anyway. We'll keep this between you and me, but I'll take you to Yuni's tomorrow to go check out her TV. Is that cool?"

You nodded and agreed to visit Yuni tomorrow.

You felt a faint bond forming between you and Rage...

You were locked in your own dimension as you felt the power this new link gave you. You were unsure what this meant; you had already mastered the powers of each Arcana in your last adventure, but you were sure you could count on Rage from then on.

* * *

(That, my non-Persona-playing-friends is a Social Link. Definitely something to watch on YouTube if you haven't played the game. -nod-  
I'm not sure how I'm gonna have them work, honestly... something like 5 ranks is the max rather than 10 or something. 10 is just way too many for a fic that's already long. xP)


	5. Chapter 5

(Vague but late P4 spoilers ahead)

* * *

"I hope Zukin's home for once, 'cause then we don't have to get Yuni involved," Rage commented aloud as the two of you walked across a giant yard. While you didn't want everyone to know, Devil Zukin had already known about the Midnight Channel. She apparently watched Yuni's large television, which you needed to get to the other side, so you couldn't avoid letting her in on the secret.

You learned that Yuni lived in a large mansion. and you were amazed at how its size continued to increase as you got closer. While you were distracted by these sights, Rage continued.

"I gotta ask, did anybody ever believe you when that case was over?"

You recalled the events... you were hardly able to convince Dojima of the alternate world (though after rescuing Nanako, he had no choice but to listen to you). It helped that he was part of the police force... but in all, it was a farfetched story that only you and your friends witnessed firsthand.

It was with the help of your friends that you were able to overcome the vicious Shadows... without them, how would you plan to rescue the people in this new town?

Rage listened to your story until you got to the door. He rang the doorbell; you wondered how many rooms the sound must have echoed in. You waited for what seemed like a few minutes, awkwardly staring at the scenery in the yard while Rage appeared to kill time by tapping his foot, humming a song that was probably from that dance game you played.

Just as you started to get bored, you heard the lock open in the door. The two of you turned to see a maid wearing a green dress with a white apron. Her hair was long and dark brown.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Ito," the stranger greeted. "Are you here to see Miss Verse?"

"Actually," Rage started, "I was wondering if Devil Zukin was here."

"She is," the maid told him. "May I ask who this man is?"

"Oh, this is Souji Seta. He's one of Emi's friends, but he's met everybody before."

"I see. Come inside," the maid opened the door and showed you two in. You wondered if you needed to remove your shoes or leave them on. You decided to copy Rage, who kicked his dirty shoes in the corner. You slipped yours off in a more civilized way before gently shoving them in a corner so a passerby wouldn't trip over them.

You followed the maid through a long hallway and to a door on the side of a wall. She knocked with the back of her hand. You thought you could hear a faint female voice on the other side.

"You have visitors, Mr. Ito and Mr. Seta."

You heard some sort of confirmation on the other side before the maid opened the door and let you in. Rage went in first and you followed.

The bat girl was on the couch before a large screen television. She stood up and bowed to you. You bowed in return but felt odd as Rage didn't bother; he waved instead.

"It's a pleasure to see you, Rage-sama," she said, "and good afternoon Souji, if I may call you that."

You shrugged. You had to get used to America, and it's not like anyone used honorifics here. Except for that girl's usage of "sama"... that wasn't important at that point, though.

"Hey, Souji," Rage said, motioning to the TV. You saw it and requested if you could get a close look at it. Rage closed the door.

"I suppose," Zukin said. She sounded suspicious yet curious.

You casually walked up to the TV and hesitantly placed your hand close to the screen. You felt a light pulse coming from it. You instinctively leaned more into it... the screen began to pull your hand in. The large screen was like a vacuum and you struggled to get back out of it.

You flailed one arm behind you for help!

Zukin wrapped her thin arms around your waist while Rage's bulky hands grabbed onto your arm one and the two harshly pulled you away from the TV. The three of you crashed onto the floor. The first thing you did was feel your wrist as if to make sure everything was still attached. You were fine, but in a light amount of pain.

"What on earth was _that_?" Zukin demanded.

"That's er... Souji," Rage tried to make sense of. "I uh... think you should tell her what's going on."

Again, though shorter this time, you told Zukin the story about your power to go into the television to save the people inside.

"There is another world on that side?" she asked. She placed her own hand on the television, but nothing seemed to happen. "Apparently, you are the only one here who can open it."

"Should we er... all go in?" Rage asked. "Do we have any business being in there?"

You wondered if they needed to go in. Rage seemed agile enough to be of assistance and you were sure Zukin had something up her mysterious sleeves, but you told them not to worry because no one has gone missing yet. You clarified that the television was what killed Emi's friend, but you had no leads on a suspect yet.

"If you say so," Rage told him.

"You are free to come back when you need to do so," Zukin told him. "This mystery has just begun; however... perhaps one of the first things we need to do is figure out why your television can't view the Midnight Channel."

"But in the meantime," Rage started, "me and Zukin will watch it for you. We'll let you know if anything's up. So I think we have enough people involved in this case... the more people we get, the more trouble we might be asking for. Especially if the criminal already rigged your TV. He's probably onto you."

You nodded, then asked if you could take your leave. Zukin nodded, and then you and Rage walked out of the building.

–

Later that night, in your dorm, your roommates interrogated you about your whereabouts the past week.

"You just got here and you've always got somewhere to go," Aaron commented. "Or are you just getting lost in this city?"

You chuckled, but wondered how much you should tell them about your new friends. You let them know about Emi and how she took you to the arcade. You also promoted Rage's takoyaki stand in the cheesiest way possible, giving the guys in your room a laugh.

"Haa, I've seen that guy before. He's dating Emi, isn't he?" said Steve. "His food's pretty good, too... I felt kinda bad 'cause there were so many people the day I went, I sorta just walked off and forgot to pay for it."

Robert was sort of somber. "Wasn't Emi friends with that girl who died the other day?"

Everyone faced him, and you confirmed his fact.

"That's too bad," he continued, "I never talked much to Emi, but she seemed like she was always in high spirits. I wonder how that's gonna affect her."

You frowned, now that Robert's mood hit everyone in the room. You retired to your room and planned to see Emi the next day.

* * *

(I don't even like OCs, so while I think Souji's roommates matter a little, I'm also trying to condense these convos while using them for plot. xP)


	6. Chapter 6

She wasn't there the next day.

After class, instead of seeing Emi, you saw Rage talking to one of the students. You asked him why he was there.

"Oh, I was just getting notes from this guy," he answered. "Emi says he's a good notetaker so she asked him to copy some for her." He sighed. "She's still down about her friend. I told her not to even come today and I'd take care of this school crap. I'll be hanging out with her today." He waved casually. "Seeya later."

You nodded your goodbye to him.

Without much to do, seeing as you hadn't yet established much of a bond with the other dancers, you simply went to your dorm.

Robert was there, reading a book.

"Hey there, Souji," he greeted. "The other two are out playing sports or something. It's pretty good weather, but I'm not a fan of the outdoors. What about you?"

You shrugged. You asked what he was reading.

"Oh, this is just an economics textbook. Right now we're studying the basics of..." you tried to listen, and while you did nod your head at the end of every sentence or two, you weren't completely sure what in the world he was talking about.

He must've realized he was rambling, because he stopped. "Anyway, what do you have planned for today? Not gonna hang out with your other friends?"

You told him about how Rage was helping Emi take care of her homework.

"I see," he noted, turning back to his book. "He seems like a good guy, even though you just met him."

The mood got awkward. You did your homework for the remainder of the night and pondered getting a part time job to pass the time some day...

On Friday, you found your way back to the arcade. You were delighted to see Emi there again, with Rage at her side.

Emi smiled at the sight of you as well. "I'm glad you came back, Souji," she said. "I'm sorry I haven't been in class lately..."

You told her not to worry about it... it was kind of a drag, anyway.

"C'mon Emi," he said, "just pound some arrows and you'll be feeling better in no time. I'll go up with you."

"That's no fair," a blonde girl butted in. You tried to remember... the curly pigtails, the skirt, the attitude... she must be Yuni. "You've seen her all week and I haven't! Emi, come up with me."

The blue haired girl giggled. "I think I'm gonna have to go with Yuni. Sorry Rage!"

He smiled. "Go, have fun."

The girls skipped up to the machine.

"By the way," Rage started, "thanks a lot for coming back every now and then. Emi's got this thing where she wants to bring everybody together with DDR, and I think you cheered her up a bit."

You sensed his gratitude, and the bond between the two of you became a little stronger.

Akira walked to you two with a bottle of water.

"Here to keep Yuni outta trouble again?" Rage teased, drinking a sports drink.

"What else is new?" he said with sarcasm, though everything that man said just sounded a little formal and intimidating. After he saw you, you both nodded to each other.

"I tried Pluto Relinquish earlier," Rage said.

"How did that work out?" Akira asked, clearly pessimistic.

"Yeah, I got destroyed," he replied. "Got it on the random selection thing, and I really thought I could pass it, but I guess not."

"How many boss songs can you pass, anyway?"

"Uh... well I can do some 15s, but 16s and 17s... well, yeah."

You had no idea what they were talking about, until you remembered the ratings on the DDR machine. They didn't even have to mention the game to understand the subject. You vaguely remembered Pluto as a song on the list, so you assumed this Relinquish was another song, or another version.

The fact that you played level 2s and 3s reminded you that you weren't even aware numbers beyond 10 existed. You felt more out of place with those borderline professionals talking around you.

"You wanna dance next?" Rage offered. "You're new, so you're still in training. It's cool, everybody's always training, whatever their level. The game's no fun if you're perfect at everything." As Emi and Yuni were playing their third song, Rage motioned you to follow, and so you did, taking the left side of the machine.

You remembered again that you lacked the card used to play the game. Rage swiped his twice. "This one's on me," he said, probably unaware you couldn't pay at all. He forced you to play a round of completely random songs that were chosen so fast you didn't really get a good look at them, but they ranged from incredibly easy to incredibly hard. You were surprised that songs could be so difficult on Beginner.

"Rage!" Emi scolded. "Why the heck did you pick Healing D Vision?"

The man panted after the final song. "Huh? Oh, Souji can pass that just fine."

Except you didn't. The arrows at the end were oddly fast at the end (since when did songs surprise people like that?). But your dull E felt all right next to Rage's purple C. As Rage was breathing heavily to your right, you two stepped off the machine and allowed the next people to play.

You remembered Emi mentioning that she would give you her DDR games this week, but you didn't see her carrying anything. Perhaps she forgot what with the events of this week... you decided not to bring it up. You didn't have much of a desire to haul a mat home, anyway...

* * *

(Not much to say yet. I don't like making the characters perfect as DDR. If anyone rules, it's Disco but I doubt he'll show up in this fanfic. Anyway, I hope at least one person is still reading this. o_o;)


	7. Chapter 7

(Slow, short chapter.)

* * *

Your Saturday rolled by as you searched for employment. You discussed this with Rage, the only business owner you were probably going to meet.

"Uh... I can't say I can afford help right now," he said. "Outta the people we know... I think Zero would be the guy to ask. He works at a hospital a couple blocks away... you worked as a janitor, right? They might need one of those at his place."

… Who the heck was Zero? You politely asked Rage who Zero was.

"Oh yeah, he probably never said anything to you yet," Rage started. "Sorry. He's that quiet guy with the silver hair. And if you still can't find him, look for his flashy clothes. And if you still can't find him," he chuckled, "he's probably the only guy who purposely won't talk to you." He stopped laughing but still smiled. "I'll introduce you two next time we go to the arcade. We hardly ever see him otherwise. I think after his first week he's taking more measures to avoid us." He shook his head, but was laughing about it.

He poked at his takoyaki and flipped some of them. As the food finished cooking, a few hungry customers came up to his stand. You saw that he was busy, so you waved goodbye and explored the town more.

You didn't meet any new people along the way. You noticed New York was full of people, but they were all incredibly busy. It was like your home town before you went to Inaba... the hustle and bustle of this city was familiar to you, but the human traffic seemed less organized than in Japan.

Streets of crowds later, you walked by the TV Tower. You tried to remember where you last heard of it... someone at the arcade your first Friday had said something about it, but you couldn't quite...

Ah. This must be where Alice worked. You realized this when you looked ahead and saw her exit the building. You weren't sure if she remembered you, so you awkwardly stared in her direction.

"Oh, hello," Alice greeted upon noticing you. She hurried her way to you. "Um... you're Souji, right?"

You nodded and asked her how her day was.

"It's been busy," she said. "I've been rehearsing here, and I just stepped out to have a break. In an hour I have to go back and meet with some agents about another live show." You noticed her smile and a blush on her cheeks. You asked if she was nervous.

Her chuckle certainly sounded nervous. "Sometimes, I am. But there's always someone out there to support me." She nodded to herself. "I really am grateful for my friends." Then she looked at your face. "I hope we can be friends, too."

You felt her gratitude... but something stopped her from forming a bond with you. Some sort of distrust...

"I'm gonna go meet someone for lunch," she said. "I'll see you on Friday, okay?"

You told her you looked forward to it and said goodbye to her.

You were back to having nothing to do for the day... you decided to go to the arcade and get one of those cards you saw everyone using. When you got to the worker, you received a point card. You dug through your American dollars, unsure of how much to put on the card, and you wound up putting five dollars on it.

There were a few people at the DDR machines, but no one you knew. You spent your day practicing on what looked like an older machine (apparently DDR Extreme) so that you could do better next Friday. You couldn't help but think it would be more fun with the others, but when you were finished, you couldn't wait for Friday to come.

* * *

(I smell plot in the next chapter.)


	8. Chapter 8

It was Wednesday. The ground was still damp from the harsh rain the previous day.

You were walking home after visiting a restaurant. You realized you needed to work somewhere to earn the money for your life in America. You weren't paying much attention to where you were going, but you were in the familiar yet empty campus when-

"**SOUJI.**"

Someone gripped you!

Someone had a hand over your mouth and thin yet firm arm around your waist. You quickly thought of the list of people in this city who knew you... when you felt the cloth of a glove on your lips, you quickly knew who this girl was.

"It was you, wasn't it?" Devil Zukin said, voice hissing. It had a sort of demonic echo. "You have the power to go into the television. You're the one who put Rage-sama in there!"

Your eyes shot open. He was already in the television? How did you miss that? Who knew he was gone? How...

You tried to shake your head and mumble "no." Devil Zukin briefly squeezed the air out of you and then violently threw you onto the ground. Your stomach was in pain, both from the pressure of her arms and from the fear she instilled in you.

But then your Courage came back!

You turned to her and noticed that her eyes glowed a blood red. You could see small fangs on her teeth as she looked back at you with malice. You tried to calm her down and explain what you knew... or rather what you didn't know about Rage just yet.

"Why should I believe you?" she demanded, growling. "How am I to believe that you weren't the real culprit in your story? No one would've believed you had the power, and you probably just came here to escape your crimes there!"

You offered to go inside and save Rage. After all, he was your friend, too.

The half demon lowered her head a little and grumbled. "You had better save him. And I'm going with you."

You tilted your head, and told her how dangerous it was.

"You can take others in the television. There is no reason you can't take me. I would rather die than lay back and let you kill Rage-sama."

You sighed and reminded her that you weren't the culprit. But unlike your powers, hers existed in real life. Those fangs would dig through your skin in a matter of seconds. You told her she could come, but warned her again of the Shadows inside.

But... you also told her you needed to borrow Yuni's TV.

"Fine," she said, "then come with me."

You told her to wait. You had to go home; it was far too late and you were too exhausted from the day to spend hours in the TV.

"But he could die in there!" she screamed.

You knew it wasn't going to rain soon, so you promised her that if Rage were to die, she could take your life as well.

The glow in her eyes faded; they were back to a dark ruby color. "But... your life doesn't guarantee his safety..." She was greatly worried.

You tried your best to explain that you didn't have to worry. A person could survive weeks in the television, so long as fog doesn't form on this side. Your tone was sympathetic, and your sincerity seemed to calm her down.

She finally gave up. "Please... come to Yuni's mansion tomorrow." She turned and flew away quickly.

You were sure she wasn't going to sleep, and you were questioning Rage's status as well. It was already strange that you still couldn't watch the Midnight Channel, and you had no way to learn who the culprit would be. But that was the first rainfall that had come since Emi's friend died on the other side. Did that mean the culprit wasn't sending warnings out anymore...?

You knew that you would need Devil Zukin's help to get to the television. But her relationship with you was rather distant at that point. You would have to do something to be on her good side, or your journey wouldn't be a pleasant one...

Thursday followed. Your classes were done in the early afternoon. Emi offered to go to lunch with you, but you had to decline. She had another class and couldn't come with you to Yuni's mansion... you were thankful for that.

"By the way, have you seen Rage?" she asked. "He wasn't at his takoyaki stand yesterday."

You were tense. You knew exactly where he was, but you didn't want to worry her and you definitely didn't want to get her in any trouble. You made up a story about how Rage may not have wanted to work on a day that was raining, and you didn't think he would be at his stand that day, either.

"Hmm," she said with a frown. "Maybe I'll try calling him."

You hoped to whatever deity you believed in that she would forget to call him...

* * *

(I like writing psycho Devil Zukin. I need to make her evil more often. xP

I used a single dash to partition large time gaps in Word, but doesn't like them. I want partitions to differentiate between A/N chunks and time gaps... until I can figure them out, the time gaps will just be funky...)


	9. Chapter 9

(WE'RE GOIN IN THE TV, GUYS!)

* * *

An hour after class, you found Yuni's mansion again. When you approached the door, you were greeted by a purple cat maid that vaguely looked like Devil Zukin... only with a sweet pink apron and gentle blue eyes.

"Welcome," she said, "you must be Souji. My sister told me you were coming. Follow me."

She had a sister? You asked her to elaborate.

"Oh, no I don't think we're related," the cat girl replied. "But we're similar yet different from everyone else. You can call me Maid Zukin."

You bowed and learned her name. You removed your shoes but Maid Zukin stopped you from leaving them behind.

"Take those with you," she said, "at least that's what I was told."

It made sense. You didn't want to run in the TV world in your socks. You carried your shoes by your side as Maid Zukin led you back to the room with the large TV screen. Devil Zukin was waiting on the couch, arms and legs crossed impatiently. She saw the cat girl and her face softened.

"Thank you for bringing him here," she said. "I would advise you to let us be alone. Please make sure no one comes in this room until we leave."

"Okay," she agreed. "But... one of these days, I hope you tell me what's going on."

"I will tell you when I'm sure myself," she said.

The purple maid left and locked the door. You saw that it could easily be unlocked from the inside when you were finished exploring.

"Take me in, Souji," the remaining Zukin ordered.

You put on your shoes and then grabbed her bandaged wrist. Then you slowly dove into the television...

You were unused to the feeling of going through the television. The static around you made you feel like you were submerged in a sea of harmless dust-like electrocutions and your ears rang for a second. After you made it through the screen, you went straight into free-fall mode. You fell quickly toward the ground for a little while until Zukin pulled you into her arms and used her wings to slow you down. The two of you landed on your feet at the same time.

You were back on a TV set, as with the TV at Junes, but it was a little different. The lights were primarily set up from the top; there weren't many standing lights. There were a few lights on the floor that, instead of showing plain light, showed changing colors, almost like the lighting you would see in a club. You thought you could hear a song in the distance, but it was very faint. The sound of static was around as well.

You remembered that you were missing your glasses. Without Teddie, you weren't sure how you were going to make it very far, let alone how Zukin was going to survive without any help. The static clouded your vision and blurred your surroundings as you looked for the bat girl.

She seemed to be doing all right. She was exploring the small area; she flew from light to light and around the infinitely distant walls for a minute or two.

Zukin remembered your presence and flew to your side. "Are you all right?" she asked, more curious than concerned. You must have looked as uncomfortable as you felt. You told her it was hard to see.

"Really?" she said. "I can see perfectly fine... perhaps I'm not human after all..." she became distracted and daydreamed for a brief moment. "If I knew how to lend my power, I would. All I know is Konsento obtains my powers instinctively... the first time it happened was when..." her eyebrows jumped as if she gained an idea. "Try keeping your eyes open for a moment."

You did, and she brought your face toward hers. Her soft ruby eyes stared into yours, almost seductively. You could see the glow of her eyes intensify... a surge of energy flowed through you and a noise began to vibrate in your head. Slowly, the vibration became louder and louder until it made a rumbling sound that you thought would render you deaf.

At the same time, you two separated and yelled from brief pain. You rolled onto the ground and your eyes snapped shut until the vibration stopped. When you opened them, you discovered that you could see clearly. You checked on her a distance away; she was all right, and she picked herself up from the ground.

She looked at you and blinked surprisingly. "That's strange," she said, concerned now. "Your eyes are red."

You were scared for a second as you closed your eyes and tapped your eyelids. They felt no different to you, or at least there was no pain. You wanted to see your reflection, but there was no mirror around.

"I don't mean your entire eye," she said, "but your irises are red."

You hoped it was temporary...

Zukins eyes shifted to a blank distance. "I can't explain it but," she said before closing her eyes to focus on something, "I can feel Rage-sama's presence. But perhaps you know this world better than I..."

You told her that you had to rely on someone who knew the victim well. Only when the searching person understood that victim would you find them. You told her to rely on her knowledge of Rage.

She nodded. "I assure you I will find him, then."

You couldn't tell what was going on, but she stretched out her arms. You thought the faint music had a piano in it... it was random but noticeable.

She rotated her body and lowered her left arm. Her right arm was pointing in a direction. "He's there," she said.

You smiled eagerly, now with a lead. Perhaps the fact that she forced you to include her proved to be useful after all.

-.

She led you to a city that coincidentally resembled your home city in Japan. While you were walking, you asked her what the Midnight Channel showed.

"Oh, that's right... you're unable to see it," she said. "Well you see..." She began to describe it to you as vividly as she could remember...

_Rage had closed down his takoyaki stand early due to the impending rain making business slow. Zukin also headed home early to avoid the impending storm. It rained heavily as she went in the mansion, motivating her to watch out for the Midnight Channel._

_She stared into the large television and saw a broadcast. Rage was in a martial arts gi with a black belt. He had a set of nunchucks and showed off his moves._

_"Yo!" he said in between motions. He stopped fighting and took a step closer to the screen. "You wanna know what I think when I look at you? Lazy. You Americans are a bunch of lazy slobs. I'd bet none of you guys could stand up to a strong Japanese fighter such as myself." He revealed his muscles and flexed them. "I challenge anyone and everyone to take me down." He walked into a dojo that seemed to be located in the middle of nowhere._

"Then the channel shut off," she concluded. "I believe we should be looking for that dojo. And there it is."

She and you stopped when you saw a traditional Japanese building in the middle of this unpopulated city. It was bigger than the buildings that surrounded it; you predicted you were about to navigate another long dungeon.

"I can feel him here," Zukin said. "He is up at the top... shall we go in?"

Her once hostile tone had slowly progressed to a neutral one. You wondered if you would be friends with her in time.

She was still physically the leader as she ran in front of you to go inside. You realized then you weren't armed with any weapons. You would have to rely on your spirit power and the Personas; you hoped that they were still with you.

Inside, the rooms were empty hallways and athletic classrooms. You trampled over the thin mats, guilty that your shoes were dirtying the clean floors. You had no time to think about it, as it was hard to keep up with Zukin's incredibly fast pace. You took large steps and swung your arms, yet despite the wind resistance that probably affected her wings, she ran with ease.

"We will find him today," she said quickly, "and get him out of this prison!"

The sound of her voice wasn't normal. You could sense a bit of obsession in her voice. You split up to find all the doors, and then you heard her shout from a distance.

"Come here, this leads to the next level!" she commanded. You followed the sound of her voice and ran down a hallway. You saw the stairs, but noticed she had already gone up without you. You were afraid of how far ahead of you she was and you wondered if she cared where you were. You went up the stairs and looked through the two doors that were open. One led to a dead end and another led to a hallway. While going down the hallway, you heard Rage's voice...

"A challenger, huh? Two challengers! Yes! I've been waiting for you!"

You found Zukin shortly after that. She had stopped to stare at the ceiling.

"I just heard him," she said anxiously, "but I don't see him anywhere."

"_We have to hurry_."

Zukin covered her mouth. She said it, but a nearly identical voice had spoken at the same time. Your heads circled as you both scanned the room for its source. In the corner, you saw a bat's wings open up, revealing what you believed to be a Shadow, and it looked exactly like Devil Zukin.

You were in trouble.

* * *

(Initially, I was gonna have PiX replace Teddie, but I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to get a PiX in the TV.  
I should note that, while it is canon that the Konsento in 4th mix inherits power from Devil Zukin, Konami never wrote exactly how it's transferred. I wrote a fanfic that's rotting on my computer somewhere where Zukin gives it to him by staring into his eyes and recycled that idea here.)


	10. Chapter 10

(The piano, I forgot to mention, was a reference to the song .59. I don't know if I can make use of that for anyone else... Devil Zukin, Emi, and Alice are the only characters with songs I can deem their theme songs.  
Two chapters merged together here... great, now my whole count is off :P)

* * *

"What... are you?" Devil Zukin asked, confused and fearful.

"What do I look like?" the Shadow asked. "Oh... well I look human, but no one really knows what I am. I don't even know."

You saw that her fear become more evident. You told her that it was her Shadow, but you couldn't say any more words because the copy continued.

"I came here because I wanted to save my precious Rage-sama," she said. "I came here because I want to make him mine. I tricked Souji into coming in so that he would take me. And now, Rage-sama will see how important I am to him, how much he matters to me, and then he'll leave Emi for me!"

That explained so much to you, but you didn't have much time to sink in the information. You were concerned over your ally's shock.

"I..." Zukin mumbled. You tried to calm her down, elaborating that this sort of thing happens to most people who enter this world. You told her it was just another side of her.

"I can't believe this," she said.

"Believe what you see before you," the copy said. "Or do you not believe I'm real? You hardly believe in your own existence as it is."

She gritted her teeth.

"If I'm not human, I may never age," the Shadow said, "Rage will die and I'll be alone for the rest of my life. No, I will just have to find another person to leech from... another person to cling to. All I want is to be in love with someone, to know what it's like... in time, it won't even matter who it is."

"N-no," the original muttered, "I... I want to belong to Rage-sama."

"No," the other one interrupted, "you want him to belong to you. You want to control him... taking him from Emi's arms would just prove that you can do just that."

"No!" she screamed. "I would never use Rage-sama like that! I look up to him!"

You gulped. You knew what was coming...

"You're not me!"

The demonic bat girl grinned... and the black aura you hadn't seen in a year circled around her.

"Then I'll get rid of you," she shouted with excitement, "and I'll make Rage mine!"

The first Zukin fell to her knees as the monster transformed behind the aura. The Shadow closely resembled Devil Zukin, but was larger and wore an outfit with two pentagrams: one on her forehead and one on her chest. Her skirt was purple plaid and her shirt was a dark magenta. Her fangs that were small yesterday were menacing and long at that point, and her entire eyes glowed red. She possessed a scythe... and you did not want to get sliced by that.

You wondered... which Personas would you rely on? Your very first Personas had disappeared from your memory, but thanks to your friends, you possessed the ultimate powers of each arcana somewhere in your soul. You pondered... the link that your friends created as your team was first forming... the one that gave power to the Fool Personas. You summoned, then, the ultimate Persona...

_Loki..._

You reached out your hand and a card formed. The card shattered before you and the dark winged creature was summoned to protect you.

Which was good, because you remembered that you still didn't bring any weapons.

You stretched out your right hand and Loki copied your move. The demon ally had cast an ice spell on Zukin's Shadow; you remembered it as Bufudyne. A block of ice formed around Shadow Zukin, but she broke free from it. She attempted to cut Loki's arm in half, but he countered her attack with one of his own.

Her movements became wild; she started swinging an array of scythe moves at your protector, and he was only able to block them. When one hit dug into his arm, he pulled the blade out and tried to shove her back.

You tried again to use an ice attack, but you gave him more spirit power this time...

Before your eyes, Shadow Zukin was frozen in a wall of ice. You had remembered how to use the ultimate ice move: Niflheim. This froze her solid and she was unable to move. Loki returned to your card, and the card disappeared back into your body. While you waited for the Shadow to thaw, you ran up to Devil Zukin.

"What... just happened?" she said.

You tried to explain, again, that the Shadow was born from part of her heart... the part that she refused to face. The only way to avoid being attacked by it is to accept her other side, so that she could become one with it.

You could see her struggling to accept its previous words. She frowned and walked to the slowly melting ice wall.

When the real Zukin met the foot of the iceberg, she kicked it a few times. Cracks began to form in the melted ice and it shattered. The Shadow landed on the ground and slowly got up.

"All right," Zukin began, "I get it. I'm confused... I want to control my future but I can't do that without even knowing my past. Everything you said was something I wanted to say... you're me."

The Shadow nodded and floated in midair. The demon was swallowed in a pale cloud, and then she transformed into a slim woman in a black suit. Her lower garment as made of white fur, and her skin transitioned from pale white to black. She had long claws, but she looked gentle to you. Her eyes were shut and she had large bat ears that stuck out from underneath her dark hair. There was a chakra on her forehead that shifted different hues of red.

The being turned into a glowing card that floated downward. Zukin held out her right hand and caught it as it gently faded before her and seeped into her body.

Her knees began to shake, and you rushed by her side and asked her if she was all right. You supported her by holding one of her arms, and she seemed to be able to stand.

"Ouze..." she muttered, ignoring your concern. "Yes... that is her name," she said softly. She tried to walk, but she wobbled a little. She tried to breathe deeply and rest without falling on the floor. "I... want to say sorry," she told you, "I did suspect you, but... as you know, the main reason I pulled you in here was be...cause..."

You asked again if she would be okay, having not got a response before.

"I'll be all right in a moment," she told you. "But... I should confess, I forced you in here so you would take me to Rage-sama. I don't want to believe you're the killer... I just want to save him, and I needed your help to do that."

You told her it was all right. You agreed to rescue Rage and you asked if you could count on her as well. She had an important role in finding him, and you wouldn't be able to get to him without her.

"I will do what I can," she confirmed. "Shall we proceed?"

You made sure she was able to walk before letting your mind wander. Then you had to ask her... what kind of Persona did she obtain, anyway?

Ouze revealed herself and appeared behind Zukin. She placed her long, delicate claws on the sides of Zukin's head, and Zukin felt the hands with her mittens. Ouze's ears twitched, and you could feel a resonance around the room. You assumed that the Persona was trying to sense the direction of Rage.

Ouze disappeared and Zukin lowered her arms. "I think I can better sense Rage's presence," Zukin told you. "Please follow me."

She was fast, but you assumed she was keeping your speed in mind this time. She led you through the halls, not taking as many wrong directions as before. You felt you were going on the right path the entire way.

Upon opening a door three floors higher, a monster ambushed you from behind. It knocked you to the ground, and you turned around to see what it was.

The monster was a small red octopus with glowing yellow eyes. Devil Zukin came back to your rescue and kicked it into oblivion, much like Chie probably would've done.

"I wonder if there are more of these," she said.

Coincidentally, more monsters had spawned.

As another octopus attached itself to your back, you turned around and noticed a larger one that led an army. You looked to Zukin for aid, but you doubted her Persona was fit for combat.

"Thunder..." she mumbled, staring blankly at the octopi. "Use thunder on them."

You pondered the Personas you had buried in the depths of your soul, and tried to find one with electric powers...

_Odin..._

You called the highest Persona of the Emperor arcana who, upon summoning, cast the spell Maziodyne across the room. One by one, the different-sized octopi dropped and faded away in individual purple clouds. The giant one still had power left, but Zukin made an effort to fight it physically. A few punches and kicks later, it faded into a cloud as well.

She panted. Surely, you thought, fighting a monster fit for a Persona would exhaust her. You asked again if she was all right.

"I can keep going," she said. "We don't know how long my spell will last on you. We should hurry."

You didn't want to push her, but you could tell that you were getting tired, too, and you wondered how much longer the two of you could fight in this dungeon.

You two ran through two more levels of stairs and floors. Along the way were not only more octopi (who were oddly skilled in martial arts the higher you got), but a few persistent humanoid beings that tried to strike you with broken glass bottles. Odin managed to hold most of them off, but the sight of the drunken monsters made you wonder what was going through Rage's mind. Your spirit power was running low and your health was deteriorating as well. After another set of stairs, Zukin's ears twitched excitedly.

"I... I can feel him!" she shouted. "He's behind that door!"

But you knew the two of you were in no condition to fight. Without a powerful Persona from Zukin, you would be taking on Rage's Shadow just from your remaining spirit power, and you deemed that impossible. You told her not to go forward.

"But... we're so close, Souji," she said. Her expression changed. "Your eyes..."

You blinked in response, worried.

"The red in your eyes is fading," she said sadly. You felt some (yet little) sympathy from her; she was probably thinking more of the man behind the door than of you. Nevertheless, it was valid proof that you needed to get out of the dungeon.

"Your eyes were still a bright red," she began, "until about the fourth floor. I didn't want to say anything because it was acting slowly, but it seems as your power depleted, the gray of your eyes returned." She lowered her head.

There was a glowing portal nearby with a floating butterfly; you remembered it from your past adventure. You told her that you would be able to come back here tomorrow, without having to go past all the monsters again.

"Tomorrow?" she asked sadly. "Will he still be all right?"

You gave her your word. You could feel that she was starting to believe you a little.

She nodded obediently. "So far, you haven't wronged me... I will trust you."

You almost sensed another link, but your headache increased. You gritted your teeth and made your way to the portal via the glowing point. Zukin followed you closely.

-.

Back in the first room with the TV set, you looked for an exit. You didn't see anything on the ground, or at least nothing the visible from where you stood. Zukin had taken to the air, or so you assumed when she was missing. Shortly after noticing this, she came down, holding a seemingly weightless screen that hung from a cord. You assumed the cord reached the ceiling, though you couldn't see it.

"This appears to be the way we came," she said. "Do you think so?"

You nodded, though you definitely had no idea what the entrance looked like. You were willing to try it anyway, so you grabbed Zukin's hand and pulled her through the mysterious screen...

The portal took you to where Yuni's TV first led you. You wobbled around for a step or two as you got used to the change in surroundings. You relaxed as the static stopped ringing in your ears. Curious, you looked around the room for something reflective. There was a window to your far left, and walked up to it to get a look at your eyes, which were their normal shade of gray.

"I see then," Zukin said, "that my power is only temporary, and when your eyes return to their normal state, it's gone. Perhaps we will need a more efficient method to navigate the world..."

If there was no other way, she would have to give you a headache each time you entered the other world... you frowned. At least the pain from the static of the other world was gone by now. Yet you were still exhausted. You told her you would come back tomorrow.

She bowed. "I thank you for what you did today." You saw something odd about her expression... the once frightening demon was giving you a warm smile.

Before you knew it, another link had been formed. In a split second, her ruby eyes pierced into your gray ones, and you could feel her sincerity and trust. You smiled back at her.

You remembered something... you wouldn't be able to fight well against the Shadows without a weapon. You asked her if she could find one for you, preferably a sword because you knew how to wield one.

"I don't suppose you can use a gun well," she said, rather quietly. "I will see what I can find. You do not need to find weapons on your own. See you tomorrow."

You bid her goodbye.


	11. Chapter 11

(Another sort of fused chapter. The count is gonna get off if I keep fusing chapters. xP)

* * *

You didn't have class, but you knew you would have to act early that morning because it was Friday and people were probably going to ask where Rage was before they made it to the arcade.

You traveled back to Yuni's mansion. The long walk from the road to her doorstep made you wish there was a quicker way to get there, but you ran a little faster than usual, knowing Devil Zukin was waiting for you.

You made your usual route to the room with the television, and as expected...

"I've been waiting for you," the bat girl said, sitting on the couch. "Are you ready to go in?"

You told her you were.

"I have some things for you," she said. She pulled out a nostalgic looking pair of glasses.

"With Konsento's assistance," she began, "we were able to create glasses with the ability to see like I would. These powers should not wear away as they would on a human."

You grinned, remembering the glasses you used in your last adventure. You put yours in your pocket, worried that they would fall off if you wore them before jumping inside the TV.

"Also," she said, "you had requested a weapon yesterday." She pulled out a sword that was hidden underneath the couch. "Please do not tarnish it; it is from Akira's collection."

You were nervous about using someone's possession without his permission, but took the sword anyway. You planned not to use it unless you had to.

"Shall we go in?" she asked. You offered your hand to Zukin and the two of you went into the television.

–.

This time, you didn't fall from the ceiling. The screen Zukin carried down last time was on the floor, so you two tumbled out of it and onto the ground upon entering the other side. She led you back to the city to find Rage's dojo again.

You ran to the entrance and asked Zukin if she remembered the last room. She was your best chance getting back to where you left off.

"I do," she replied. "I wonder... could Ouze lead us to the room..."

She looked as if she was channeling her inner thoughts, and then Ouze appeared behind you and Zukin. You looked above your head and watched the Persona wave her hand over the two of you, until you teleported back to the room you were in yesterday, just before the room you believed Rage was in. The door was as it was yesterday, located at the end of the small hallway in the dojo.

Zukin felt the door and got close as if to listen to what was on the other side. She sighed, relieved. "He's still there," she told you. "Please, can we go in?"

You led the way and opened the door. You saw a large room that had scrolls with assorted kanji decorated around the walls. The room was empty otherwise and had a polished wood floor. Up ahead, you saw Rage and his Shadow. It seemed Zukin noticed before you, because she was already running in his direction.

"Rage-sama!" she shouted. You called for her to stop and quickly followed her.

"Huh? Zukin?" Rage asked. "H-hey, what are you doing here?" He was growing nervous.

"We're here to save you," she said. "Come with us."

"I'm not going anywhere with you," Rage's Shadow said. As Zukin had described, he was wearing a gi with a headband, which made him look like some sort of violent takoyaki chef. You pushed the oddities aside and continued to listen.

"You know damn well I'm with Emi, so why are you always stalking me?" the copy shouted.

"Hey!" the original Rage yelled back. "Don't talk like that to Zukin!"

"You should be thanking me," Shadow Rage told him. "I just said what you've been thinking this whole time, yet you don't have the guts to tell her."

Rage mumbled something nervously.

You looked behind you and Devil Zukin was notably hurt, yet she seemed to hold her composure. You told her not to take everything the copy said literally; things often got exaggerated in this world.

She reluctantly nodded. "I want him out of here. That is our priority." She stepped in front of you. "Don't hold anything back, Rage-sama," she said confidently. "Tell me everything that's on your mind."

What was she doing? Was she trying to get Rage to reject the Shadow?

"I-I, er, Zukin," the real man started. "I gotta say, I don't know what he's talking about."

"Don't deny what you're thinking," the Shadow told him. "I came all the way to America for a fresh start, but it's just as crappy as Japan. I hated turning into an American and I don't wanna admit that I'm just as lazy as everyone else. I don't wanna go through all the work it takes to support myself, and I wish I could just go back to Japan."

"I can handle a little work!" the original argued. "It's nothing! I'd rather _die_ than go back to my dad!"

"I want someone to tell me what a good boy I am," the copy ranted, "but my dad's too full of criticism and alcohol to do any of that. I'd go back for a job and a roof over my head, but I'm too _scared_ of him and what he'd say."

Rage tried to punch his clone in the face, but his clone dodged the move. "Shut up!" the original said.

Two punches later, Shadow Rage caught his hand. "Don't make me angry. You know what a temper I have... you know my strength, my hates, my fears... because you and I are the same person."

"I know myself, and I know you're not me!"

Shadow Rage sent a wave through his body; Rage was knocked onto the ground without the Shadow having to budge his hand.

You held your (well, Akira's) sword to defend yourself as the Shadow's aura circled around him. The monster grew in size, though his muscles seemed to grow faster than the rest of his body.

He transformed into a monster with torn garments around his arms and lower legs. The monster wielded two swords, and he seemingly had no face until he opened a pair of glowing yellow eyes. His skin was so black he appeared to be a silhouette, and his clothes were bloody (though you wondered what the origin of the blood was).

Noting the two swords, you called upon a Persona that would be evenly matched in physical ability.

_Futsunushi!_

The humanlike demon and ultimate Chariot Persona was summoned with his several swords. Your warrior and the Shadow locked eyes and were ready for combat.

Shadow Rage pulled a sword back and took a strike at you, but your Persona's ability lowered his accuracy and he missed you. Taking the opportunity to counter his move, you commanded Futsunushi to use Primal Force. The bulky shadow stumbled onto the ground, weakened.

You took a strike with your (er, Akira's) sword while he was down, but the Shadow was able to block your attack with his own sword slash. The impact sent you backwards and onto the ground.

Shadow Rage began to duel with Futsunushi and the latter's many swords. Your Persona dodged a majority of the hits, and you could feel its senses guiding you where to go to avoid the attacks as well. Shadow Rage's aim was still good, however, and one swipe struck through Futsunushi and hurt you as well. You fell down in pain.

"Look out!" you heard Devil Zukin shout. You turned around for a second and noticed Ouze had her hands on Zukin's head again.

"The Shadow is calling upon the power of fire."

You heard a wave of flames, and looked forward to see fire circling Shadow Rage's sword. You switched Futsunushi for a Persona to absorb his attack.

_Mada!_

The ultimate magician spawned and guarded you. Shadow Rage swung his burning sword in your direction and your Persona absorbed his attack, granting you extra strength.

You felt you and Mada could perform his highest fire attack, so you used his Agidyne spell. A massive fire burned Shadow Rage.

Or so you thought.

Shadow Rage didn't seem to recover like you did, but he must have blocked your fire attack. You knew Agi spells wouldn't work, so you switched back to Futsunushi.

Shadow Rage had to recharge from his fire spell, and you had extra time to knock the boss over with another Primal Force. As your demon attacked, you followed up with a few swift strikes from your sword.

"I... I can't lose," the Shadow's distorted voice said. "I didn't come here to give up... I came here to show that I'm made of something..." You panted, trying to get your strength back after using up your stamina. You paced back, with increasing speed, away from Shadow Rage. The Shadow stabbed his right sword into the ground and used it as a support to help himself up.

"Finish him, Souji," Zukin's dark voice echoed behind you.

You toned down your power and unleashed one Vile Assault on the near defeated Shadow. He yelled for mercy and he faded beneath a large smoky aura. When the smoke faded, he was back to his form that looked similar to Rage.

You and Zukin ran to check on Rage. The man was resting on the floor next to a wall, unwilling to rise.

"Rage-sama," Zukin called gently. "You're safe now."

He groaned and tried to sit up. He leaned against the wall. "What... is going on?"

You explained to Rage that when he rejected his Shadow, it retaliated. The Shadow had knocked him out.

"I... gotta accept it?" he said weakly. "Even though he said... all that stuff about..."

"It's all right," Zukin told him. "I believe there is another side to your story. No one said you had to want me around _all_ the time, Rage-sama." You could tell she was offended a little, despite her words. "Now is the time to face the truth that has formed before your eyes." She looked at the Shadow in the distance. You waited for Rage to get up, and you watched him approach his dark side.

"Okay," he began. "I get it. I have a temper, I'm lazy, and I'm scared. Everybody's got their own problems, and those are mine. But if I say anything you said was a lie, I'd be lying to myself. So... looks like... you're me, after all."

The Shadow rose to stand before him. The copy nodded and levitated into a transforming light.

As the light faded, the being had become a man with white pupils. He had a headband over the top of his head, holding his short white hair back. He wore a shirt wrapped by a black belt, dark pants, and dark gloves. After floating for a few seconds, he became a shining card that fell into Rage's hands.

Rage accepted it into his soul. He stumbled for a second but was able to stand.

"His name's... Benkei?" he said to you. Not like you had any idea for sure, but you told him that the Persona was probably trying to communicate with him, so that was likely his name.

"So I've got a Persona... neat!" he said. "So, wait, is this gonna wind up being like your stories from Inaba all over again?"

You sighed and told him that was probably going to happen. Of course, you welcomed him to the team... you just weren't thrilled about all the added pressure of going through another mystery again.

"Let's go home," Zukin told both of you. "Rage-sama must be tired of being in here."

"A little bit," he confessed. "How do we get out?"

"Follow us," she replied. You led the way while Zukin stayed behind a little in case Rage needed any help.

-.

Upon leaving the television, Rage collapsed on the couch.

"Ugh, it's good to be outta there," he said with a deep sigh.

"The static is unsafe for humans," Zukin said, "or at least, it seems to give you a painful headache. Are you well enough to go home?"

"Maybe... in a bit," he answered, dozing off. "Hey... what's today anyway... I feel like I've been in there a while..."

"Today is Friday."

He bolted upward. "This is DDR day? Agh-!" he gripped his forehead again and slowly laid back down.

"I won't allow you out of here until you're better, Rage-sama," Zukin threatened. "Especially not to play DDR. No one wants to call the ambulance after you faint in the middle of one of those new boss songs."

"Fine," he grumbled. "Then... let me sleep on it for a while... is that cool?"

"I'm sure it won't be a problem," she said calmly. "Souji, do you still have that sword?"

You did, in fact, still have the sword in your hand.

…!

But, you left the sheath somewhere in the television. You panicked.

Zukin chuckled in a way that made you more nervous. "Let's hope that the sheath is still there when we venture back."

You were tempted to go back in at that instant, but the bat girl interrupted your thoughts.

"Don't be concerned about it," she told you, "I had asked Akira before taking it. I'm sure he won't notice... or care, for that matter." She took the sword from your hand and hid it under the couch. "For now, let's not bring it up until he asks about it..."

You laughed a little. You also checked on Rage's condition and saw that he was smiling as well.

"Oh yeah, Souji," the tired man mumbled. "About that job..."

You told him not to worry about it. Zukin looked curious.

"What job? I thought you weren't hiring anyone."

"No, we were gonna talk to Zero," he said. "But Zero's kinda..."

"Don't worry about that," Zukin insisted. "You must swear that you won't do any harsh activity until you're able to. I can help Souji explain your condition, if I must. However," she had sort of a thinking expression with her hand on her chin, "what shall we tell them?"

Most people didn't even know Rage had gone missing... but you knew Emi would be asking around. For that reason, you felt you needed to make up a story to explain. Surely, part of the truth would be covered if you just told everyone that Rage wasn't feeling well for a few days. You proposed that idea to Zukin.

"That will work for now," she told him. "Now rest. We will see you next week, Rage-sama."

Rage waved to both of you and then relaxed lazily on the couch. You and Zukin left him alone in the room and closed the door.

"I think I will stay here tonight," she said. "I believe we should make an attempt to hide Rage-sama. After all, no one knows he's here. Will you still be going to the arcade tonight?"

You really didn't want to. Your body was exhausted and you didn't think you had the strength to stomp on a dance mat. Surely, the dancers would question your condition. You told Zukin you probably wouldn't go.

She nodded. "Perhaps that's good. Rage-sama will not have any reason to introduce you to Zero."

You thought back to Rage and told her that you would need to get information out of him when he was better. Perhaps he would remember something about his kidnapping that would lead you to the killer.

"We can ask him together," she said. "I will check on him from time to time. Perhaps next week, we can interrogate him."

You agreed to wait on Rage's condition. You felt you could count on Zukin, and that she would trust you.

The link between the two of you grew stronger... you had nearly forgotten that only a few days ago you were afraid of her. By this point, you had no reason to fear her anymore. She was an ally... and perhaps, even your friend.


	12. Chapter 12

(Thanks for SRHtheHedgehog for double-proofing my chapters~  
Hopefully, this is one of the more fun chapters.)

* * *

All through Saturday, the rain had never let up. You were stuck in your dorm room the entire day. You took the time to talk to the roommates you tended to neglect when you were busy. You walked in the kitchen area to get a snack, but you had to cross Steve's game to get to the fridge. You politely asked him to pause the game.

"Oh, sure," he said before the game stopped. "Hey, wait; you're still here, Souji?"

Of course. It was raining so much you wondered if there would be any flooding.

"I was just asking 'cause Aaron was out somewhere, and with you and him being such social guys, I thought you would've been at the same place."

You chuckled. You told him you simply had a group of people at the arcade you liked to be with. You had yet to meet many other people in the city.

"I heard that arcade's pretty sweet. Can I come some time?"

You didn't see why not. You told him it would be on a Friday, and he considered it.

"Maybe one of these weeks. Well, anyway, it's gonna suck for Aaron getting back here. The rain's supposed to get worse. Rob's in the other room doing homework... he has some superstition that studying in the rain makes you smarter or something."

"It would if you'd turn down that game!" he yelled from his room.

"Sorry!" Steve apologized. "Well, I think a dark afternoon like this is the time to go into some games. You wanna play a round? It's a fighting game; all you have to do is button mash."

Hungry, you insisted on getting something to eat first. You poured some assorted crackers in a bowl and brought them to the game.

"These for me?" he asked. "Thanks, dude!" He stuffed his face with about five crackers. "Ruhy uh guh?"

Ready... to go, perhaps? You picked up the controller and spent a carefree day gaming and slacking off...

-.

You stood outside on Sunday morning. It was incredibly foggy and eerie. You hadn't bothered to watch the Midnight Channel the previous night, seeing as your television didn't work, but you were sure something had to be on the screen with that much rain...

"Souji."

Devil Zukin met you at the foot of the building. "The Midnight Channel, as you call it, appeared last night. Did you see?"

You said you didn't see it; you left out the part about lazily going to sleep before midnight.

"I saw a screen filled with static. Does that mean anything to you?"

You smiled, knowing that Rage was safe. You said that if the channel was empty, no one was in there.

"I see," she said. "Then it's a way to reassure us that no one was hurt. Or perhaps... a warning of what could've been."

That was a pessimistic way of looking at it...

-.

"What happened to you on Friday?" Emi asked you on Monday morning. You simply told her you were really tired and weren't able to make it.

"Aw," she said. "I called Rage and he said the same thing. Something about how Zukin didn't think he was feeling well and she wouldn't let him come."

Well, surely, "I'm too tired" wasn't enough of an excuse for a man to tell his girlfriend. It was a good thing Zukin could bail him out.

"Oh well," she said, "you probably got a lot of homework done over the weekend."

Not really...

"I got some done, too, but if I keep going to the arcade, I'm gonna need a part time job..."

You remembered that you still needed one for yourself. Otherwise, you foresaw a lot of days where you really wouldn't be doing anything...

-.

On Tuesday, Emi told you that Rage was going to be at his takoyaki stand, so the two of you went to visit him after classes.

You wondered when you would see him alone so that you could ask him questions about his kidnapping... but you also questioned if he would even remember anything.

"Hey, Emi, Souji!"

He waved as a couple of happy customers left his stand. Emi skipped ahead of you with her arms swaying by her sides. You took your time walking.

"It's been _forever_, Rage!" she said. "You didn't even show up at the arcade! Don't worry me like that."

Rage sighed. "Believe me, if I was well I wouldn't have disappeared like that." He was staring at his ingredients as he prepared another batch of takoyaki. Emi continuously tried to make eye contact with him.

"Are you gonna be able to come up this Friday?"

Rage nodded. "Yeah, I'll be there this time, definitely."

"Good!" she confirmed. "So how's business going today?"

"I'm glad people are coming back after I closed up last week," he said. "Couple people have asked what happened and I've had to just tell 'em that I just couldn't come up here."

"Cause you were tired?"

"Y-yeah, that's it."

"Well, that's 'cause you work so hard," she said. "You should be proud of yourself."

He smiled a little. "Yeah. Yeah, I should!"

You smiled, too.

Rage's head lifted to look at you. He seemed to have just remembered something.

"Oh. yeah," he began, "Zukin wants to talk to you. She says tomorrow, after 8:00, she'll be around for a bit. You gonna be able to go up there?"

You assumed it had something to do with Personas, but why so late in the day? Couldn't she just find you like she did the other day? Well, you didn't want to make it hard on her, so you agreed to go visit her at Yuni's mansion.

"Oh, you met Zukin?" Emi said. "Yeah, she doesn't always come to the arcade 'cause people act weird around her, but she's really nice when you get to know her."

"She's cool and all," Rage said, "but Emi, you think everyone's nice. You'd probably say Zero was nice if we asked."

"But he _is_!" Emi said.

Rage had burst into laughter. You started chuckling simply because Rage's laugh was contagious, but you weren't sure why it was so funny.

Emi fumed a little. "That's mean!"

"I'm always hard on the guy," he said, ending his laugh. "That's what he gets for acting all high and mighty all the time."

You remembered Zero as the man you were supposed to talk to about a job, and you wondered if he was going to be able to help after all...

Well, that aside, you went home and carried on with your schoolwork until the next evening...

* * *

(His hair is nice, anyway.)


	13. Chapter 13

(A little bit of both games. The first part was supposed to be included in the previous chapter, but I threw this all together because it happens all in one day.)

* * *

Not having much to do until late, you stopped by the arcade, as you learned that it's not a long walk from your campus. You hoped you would see someone you knew, but if you didn't, it would be a good time to practice a bit. You remembered how you had practiced the week before, but your Friday was ruined with Rage's kidnapping.

You hoped, then, to impress them further this week!

Determined, you marched to the machine in its corner of the arcade.

And there was a guy there. He looked familiar... his noticeably tall hair triggered something in your memory, but you had no idea what his name was. You observed his appearance... a gray, sleeveless shirt, large pants, orange spiked hair, some kind of glasses or goggles. You wondered if he noticed you staring at his face, so you backed away to think. No matter how you thought about it, you were sure you didn't know him...

"Hey, you the new guy?"

But he talked to you anyway. Surprised, you jumped a little and looked at him, unsure of what to say.

"Emi's telling everyone there's a guy named Souji. That you?"

You confirmed it. You were about to request his name when-

"I'm Gus," the man introduced. "It's nice to meet you." He shook your hand casually. His grip was notably strong and he sort of yanked your arm a little. He seemed tired from his round of DDR; perhaps he wasn't focusing on what his handshake was like.

"Did you come to play? I'll join you for a round."

You wanted to tell him he didn't have to, but you thought again... you'd rather he was playing against you than watching you fail. You offered him one side of the DDR machine; he took the right one, so you took the left.

You told Gus he had control over the song choices and you'd play anything. He nodded while he was quickly scrolling through his favorite songs. He landed on Ghetto Blasta Deluxe. You were happy that, unlike Rage's favorite songs, it wasn't written in red letters, so you assumed that meant you might survive.

You learned something new, playing with Gus; he chose "Options" before picking the song. Now that you thought about it, Rage did something like that but he did it rather quickly without explaining anything. Gus changed his speed to x2. You asked why he would want to make his arrows faster.

"This spreads 'em apart," he answered. "It makes some songs easier to read. You probably won't need to do this just yet, so don't worry about it. Just keep hitting enter till you get to the bottom."

You frowned a little inside, after hearing that you weren't at a high enough level to need his options. You did as he advised and hit the square button until the options menu went away. Gus then set his level to Expert, and the song played.

Oddly enough, Rage's "boss songs" made these look rather easy by comparison. You only missed about ten or so steps, and the speed was a good one for you. You assumed, though, that this song was notably easy for everyone, as when it was over, you stared at Gus's AA. He didn't look he did any work, but your struggle to maintain your balance left you a little tired.

"Not to be creepy or anything," he said, "but it'd help if you weren't wearing so much."

You looked at your clothing. You wore a light jacket over a long-sleeved shirt and dark pants. You were definitely getting hot. You took off your jacket, hoping you would cool off a bit. You weren't sure where to put it, but Gus motioned you to hang it over the bar behind you, so you did.

"But I think you're doing all right," he said. "I was listening to your steps; not bad for a beginner." He grinned.

He could tell how skilled you were by your steps? You wondered if it was any different from having him watch you make a fool of yourself. He seemed like he was being nice to you, though, so you finished the other two songs he chose. You kept in mind that as long as Gus's life bar was green, you could fail and still proceed with the song.

You were much cooler without your jacket, even though correcting your steps so often was what drained your stamina. You felt that the trick was to learn where the arrows were. You looked back and forth every few measures between the screen and the pad to make sure your feet were in the right spot.

You ended your last song with a B, but you felt you were learning a lot. You wanted to try again, but you didn't want to be late to Yuni's house. Curious, you asked if Gus usually came to the arcade on Fridays.

"Yeah, I go here," he replied. "It's kinda dead on weekdays, but after Friday it gets packed. These days are good for practice, so I like coming up here by myself. It's cool to have one other guy, so thanks for hanging around." He waved bye and you mirrored him.

-.

You arrived at Yuni's mansion at about 7:30, so you patiently waited in the TV room until 8:00. You walked around the room and then looked under the couch. You remembered the sword Devil Zukin hid under it... and the fact that you forgot the sheath. A tinge of guilt shot through you.

"He hasn't noticed."

You bolted your attention to the doorway, where the bat girl stood. She closed the door gently.

"Akira hasn't looked at his sword collection, and I don't believe he has any reason to. He's often rather busy keeping track of Yuni. Anyway," she distanced herself from the door and lowered her voice, "I invited you and Rage-sama here to talk about his kidnapping. He only closed his takoyaki stand at 7:00, so you may have to wait a while. I apologize for making you feel as if you had to come early."

You told her not to worry. On an unrelated note, you asked why she always used an honorific with his name.

"I look up to him," she said. "Back in Japan, he was... very important to me. He still is." She shook her head. "It should not affect the case at hand. We're allies, and he was saved; that's all that matters now."

You felt as if you almost created a distance in your relationship with her... you weren't close enough to learn something that was apparently personal yet. You decided not to prod further, though you were short of conversation topics to kill time. You tried awkwardly asking how her day was.

She pondered the question. "It was about average. I usually spend my days on rooftops watching the lives of people. I'm often fascinated by the behavior of humans. I hope that I can learn how to be human. Or perhaps, I may even discover that I am human. Nevertheless... I want to understand people more."

You focused on her story as she laid part of her thoughts in front of you. As she rambled about people she's seen, she began to talk about the other dancers. You told her you were uncomfortable gossiping about people you knew, so she said she wouldn't reveal any deep secrets.

"I have noticed that Akira has taken more than a protective liking to Yuni..."

But you thought _that_ was kind of a secret...

"I suppose," she said, "but there is nothing in his way. I want to help him find his love."

But... weren't they years apart? You didn't think they looked like they were in the same grade... or school... heck, Akira didn't even go to school, did he?

"Well, Ze-" she paused, "I mean... no,_ that_ was definitely supposed to be a secret. I apologize." Her tone was oddly nervous. "There are people that are important to you, over everyone else. I don't think age matters when you find that person... is that not love?"

This was a really awkward conversation. You couldn't really muster up feelings of love to describe to Zukin, nor did you want to give her any wrong information. But... love was subjective. You described love as having many forms... you couldn't give one definition, but it had many.

She smiled. "I see. I've only just met you, and you're teaching me."

Another pulse went through your body; the link between the two of you grew stronger. What was it... perhaps the third time this has happened between you and Zukin? You still didn't know what these new social links meant, but you welcomed them in your heart.

You two passed time with small talk and stories until Rage showed up.

"Oh, good evening, Rage-sama," she said.

"Yo, Zukin. Hey, Souji." Rage's voice was a bit tired. He collapsed on the couch next to you. Zukin was kneeling on the floor, in a position you assumed was comfortable because she hadn't moved much during your conversation with her, despite the room on the couch.

"Do you know why you're here?" she asked.

"Yeah," he replied, "'cause you wanted to talk about the kidnapping. I can't think of who it could be... nobody had any animosity toward me. I mean, after opening my stand, I try not to get mad as easily... I've got a reputation now."

You asked if he remembered anything the day he was kidnapped.

"Ugh..." He seemed like he was thinking hard. "That day... all I remember was I collapsed in my living room and tried going to sleep. Then... it was like everything got dark and something pulled me. Something knocked me out. Then I woke up, and then I was on the other side. I can't remember anything more than that..."

You wondered if you could connect anything to your previous case. You asked him if he remembered anything else, like people or sounds.

He shook his head. "No, my door was locked, and my roommate's gone for a week. I guess... my ears were ringing a lot before I lost track of what was going on."

You didn't think it was enough of a lead, but that was all you were going to get out of him for the time being.

"Sorry," he said, "I guess I kinda went in for nothing."

You told him not to worry. But, you thought, he did obtain a Persona. What kind was it? It would probably be beneficial for him to try using it. Plus, you wanted to find the sheath... so you asked if he wanted to go in the TV.

"Wha? Use my Persona?" he asked, confused. "I don't even know how to use it... I guess that's why I should go in, huh? All right," he said, determined, "let's go in!"

"Wait," Zukin said, "you don't have a weapon, Rage-sama."

You remembered how she didn't say anything when _you_ walked in without a weapon...

"I don't need a weapon," Rage protested. "At least not a fancy one. I mean... hmm," he looked around the room. He examined a few objects on a small table – a book, a pencil, a moderately expensive lamp – before tossing them onto the ground. The table itself had a square surface and was probably not much wider than Rage himself. Rage pulled out its single drawer and chucked it in the pile of things that were previously on the table's surface. He lifted the furniture and tested its weight.

"This'll do," he said.

"That will probably break, Rage-sama," she said.

"I doubt it," he said, "besides, I'm not going in there to hit people with this. I'm going in there to use my Persona. This is sort of a last-ditch effort if we're in trouble."

She shook her head. "I will find you something later on. Well then, please lead us into the TV, Souji."

You found your borrowed sword stashed underneath the couch. After pulling it out, you walked to the TV screen and poked your arm through it, creating a warped hole. You glanced in your allies' direction and they followed you. The three of you dove into the screen, and then tumbled out the other side.

-.

You pulled the glasses you kept in your pocket.

"What's with those glasses?" Rage asked.

"Ah, of course," Zukin said, "I forgot to give you yours." She apparently kept a pair in one of her sleeves (she lacked pockets, from what you could see) and handed it to Rage. His glasses were almost frameless except for the red sides.

"I gotta wear these glasses? Fine," he whined. He looked smarter with them on.

"If we're looking for Akira's sheath," Zukin started, "we should just head back to the room where Rage's Shadow was." Ouze appeared from Zukin and, while you heard Rage stammering half of a question, the Persona sent the three of you to the room.

-.

"What was that?" Rage asked.

"That was my Persona," she said. "It will make more sense when you communicate with yours, I believe."

The door to the last room was left open, so you casually walked in. You glanced around the room, a tad worried that the item was lost. However, in the right corner of the room, you noticed that the sheath had been thrown on the floor. You ran to it and picked it up, relieved to see it was still in good condition. You attached it to a belt buckle on your pants so that you wouldn't lose it again.

You walked back to the entrance, where Rage and Zukin were conversing.

"I don't think your form of battle cry will affect your Persona's power," Zukin said.

"But it's something to work on anyway," Rage said, "Peeeersonaaa!"

He punched the air with his right hand, still holding his table-weapon in his left arm at an angle. You and Zukin smirked.

"Anyway," Zukin said. "It appears there aren't any Shadows on this level... what shall we do?"

You suggested going to lower levels to train, to which your comrades agreed. You led your small team down a set of stairs and began to search for Shadows. Generally, Teddie or Rise could tell if there were any strong Shadows present. Knowing Zukin had a similar Persona, you asked if she could sense anything.

She crossed her arms. "Hmm," she said aloud, "I get an unfamiliar feeling on this floor. Could it be the presence of those Shadows?"

You told her to focus on that feeling. This would be her time to train as well. The three of you paced down the hallways and opened any doors that were previously left shut.

"That one."

You were a few feet from a door when Zukin said that. You assumed she was saying there was a Shadow behind that door. Having faith in her, you opened the door...

There, before you, was a pair of magic tables with the frowning green faces you came across on many monsters in the past. Items circled it in different orbits.

"Cool, let me try this," Rage said. He closed his eyes and placed a hand over his chest. He moved his arm away and seemed to pull a blue card out of his body. Its aura was like that of a new Persona. He opened his eyes to see the glowing object and grinned.

"Persona!" he shouted with excitement. He tossed the card into the air and shattered it with his end table. You felt a pulse of energy radiate from the explosion and Rage's warrior Persona spawned.

"Go, Benkei!" Rage yelled again. The Persona's hands set themselves on fire, and Benkei shot a blast of fire (the spell Agliao, you thought) onto the table.

_WHOOSH!_

The fire... didn't seem to do anything.

Rage blinked. "Didn't it work...?"

"It has no effect," Zukin said. "The monster blocks fire attacks. From where I stood, your attack appeared successful otherwise, Rage-sama."

Rage frowned. "Now what?"

You tried to remember which table blocked fire. The Angry Table? No, that would've reflected fire. The Laughing Table? Those things you saw in Yukiko's castle... before you even had much of an array of spells. Yes, you remembered... Yosuke's wind spells were used frequently there and his spirit power was drained quickly... that memory in mind, you called the ultimate Fortune Persona to use wind moves.

_"Norn!"_

The three women that circled a large clock formed all at once. They cast Garudyne on the table (a harsh fate for a weak monster, but you had power to spare), and it was instantly eliminated.

"Uh, good job," Rage said, disappointed. You had to find another monster for him to try his moves on.

"Something's coming," Zukin mumbled. You scanned the room briefly before finding Zukin. The bat girl was staring at the door. You and Rage ran back into the hallway.

"Souji, wai-"

_POW!_

Something hit you!

You fell down, though you didn't experience a notable injury. You looked to your right to see what it was, and it appeared to be a giant beetle.

Before you could even stand up, you felt heat coming from inside the door. Panicking, you backed away from the empty doorway, and a fire spell shot out of it in the direction of the beetle. The beetle recoiled, but then rushed to its offender in the room.

You got up to help Rage. Before you got in the room you heard a reflective sound, and another yell from Rage. Upon entering the room you saw Rage on the ground, with his table a distance behind him.

"I tried hitting him, but it didn't work!" he shouted. "Agh, help!"

Benkei charred the beetle again with a smaller fire move, finishing it off. And so, Rage had defeated his first Shadow. You congratulated him.

"I guess," he said, "I kinda got kicked back a few times."

"It's a learning experience," Zukin commented. "I, too, am learning as you fight. Ouze's memory is quite great. I believe she'll remember any useful information we gather."

You smiled. Your team was slowly coming together. With two more allies, you felt more confident that your adventure would end the way you wanted it to. The three of you continued training until you were too tired to train any longer.

* * *

(I suppose I should've emphasized a chapter or two ago, but as I said in the first chapter, any romantic relationships I imply aren't canon. I've made a handful of Zukin/Rage fics that "happened" before this and that's just kind of the DDR universe I like to write in. Emi/Rage isn't canon, either, it was just really popular for a while and is sort of fan-canon.)


	14. Chapter 14

On Thursday, you were walking through the city to find somewhere to eat. You couldn't eat a diet of takoyaki, and you were curious as to where else there was to eat.

You noticed an Asian restaurant in the midst of a crowded part of town. It appeared family owned, and its uniqueness from chain restaurants appealed to you, so you went inside. You found that there were a few people sitting at the counter, while about five other groups in the small building were eating their food at tables. An attendant came to you.

"Welcome, are you a party of one? Where would you like to sit?"

You requested to sit at the counter since you liked watching the chefs cook their food in the back. You looked over the menu curiously; it had been a while since you had a tasty noodle dish.

There was a slurping and munching noise a few seats away from you. It took you a while to notice, but once you heard it, it was difficult to ignore. You found a ramen dish to choose when someone could take your order, and then you turned to your right to see what was apparently a very hungry maid. With large blonde pigtails.

Was that supposed to be a disguise...? You had only seen Yuni once, but her maid outfit was out of the ordinary and her curled blonde hair was quite a giveaway. You spared telling her how obvious the outfit was and kept looking in her direction. You wondered if she even remembered you from the arcade. She was deeply into her food, so you decided to leave her alone...

-.

You finished your meal and paid what you owed. Before you were able to leave the restaurant, someone grabbed you around your waist and pulled you into a corner, covering your mouth. You panicked, but the grip wasn't very tight, so you assumed that this person wasn't much of a threat.

"Hide me, okay?" a female voice said. You couldn't see the person behind you, but after you pulled her wrists from your body and mouth, you noticed she had long green sleeves.

Yuni must have remembered you. That, or she did this to strangers. You weren't sure which at the moment...

"I can't let Akira see me," she whispered. "You'll help me, right, Souji?"

You promised not to move. You tried your best to look casual as Yuni stood behind you. You pulled out your phone and started fiddling with it, until-

"Good evening, Souji."

You jumped a little. You didn't expect anyone with an intimidating voice to talk to you. Akira stood in front of you.

"I don't suppose you've seen Yuni around here."

You tried not to stutter. You pretended to look back and forth for her, then told her you couldn't see her.

He smirked. "Keep in mind... I'm taller than you."

You gulped. Akira was looking over your shoulder. You were sure her cover was blown and that Akira thought you were a liar.

"Yuni," he called, "you have to be at the mansion today."

"Ugh," she groaned as she surrendered her hiding spot. "It's not like I'm gonna be in any movies for a while, why do I have to go home?"

"Because your homework is piling up," he said playfully.

She laughed sarcastically. "Sometimes, I wish you just didn't care," she joked. "All right, you caught me. Let's go home."

Yuni began to follow Akira, but she allowed him to get ahead as she turned around to face you. "Thanks anyway, Souji. See you tomorrow." She smiled.

You felt as if you were able to help her out in some way, but it didn't seem like enough to form a strong friendship just yet...

-.

"Yuni, huh? Yuni Verse?" Aaron commented after hearing your story about your day. "She's kinda hot."

"She's sixteen, you pedophile," Steve shouted from another room.

"Yeah, but, well, in that one movie she could pass for like... eighteen," he argued. "You know what, I'm not trying to be weird, I just think she's hot!"

You laughed. Robert didn't seem to have anything to say, but he chuckled every once in a while, so he seemed to be listening.

Of course, while you talked to your roommates frequently about your friends, you saved the stories on the other side of the television for those who have already seen it. No one who wasn't already involved should get involved...

But the mystery could be set aside if the weather remained sunny, so you went to sleep, excited to go back to the arcade the next day.

* * *

(Seriously, I think it's spelled "blonde" but the spellchecker likes "blond." Correct me if this is a bad habit.)


	15. Chapter 15

It seemed like forever since you last visited the arcade. Confidently, after practicing for a few weeks, you marched in the door of the Extreme Arcade... only to be intimidated again by the players on the machine.

Rage was playing on the right side, grasping the bar for dear life as he tried to clear a fast song. Emi must have been playing at a different level as there were hardly any arrows. Curiously, you watched Rage's feet as they scrambled on the arrows. You glanced at the arrows on the screen, but they were scrolling so fast you were getting a headache trying to read them. The man panted and stomped until he reached the final arrow. After the song was finished, he put all his weight on the bar, exhausted. Everyone around, including Emi, cheered for him.

"Good job, Rage!" the girl congratulated. "You passed Max 300!"

Rage shook his head. "That stupid X... Special," he yelled between breaths, "is weird. Get me... off this thing."

He wobbled off stage and Emi eagerly stayed by his side. Not knowing a lot of other people, you walked up to the couple to greet them.

"H-ey Ssouji," Rage tried to say, "how's it going?"

"Hiya," Emi said. "Um, about that game I was gonna give you... you don't have a PS2, do you?"

Well, that wasn't something you wanted to cram onto a plane from Japan. You answered no.

She chuckled. "I'm sorry, I'm still trying to unlock everything on my games at home. Maybe when I'm done, you can borrow my system. Plus, I gotta find something to carry everything here..."

You told her it was no problem. You meant to ask Rage about introducing you to Zero, but he wasn't in much of a condition to help, so you didn't want to bother him about it.

"Hey, it's Zero!"

Emi waved to someone behind you and you turned around quickly. The silver haired man you saw before in the same fur coat was walking in your direction. He didn't seem happy, but you didn't think he seemed angry, either.

"How have you been?" Emi continued. "Are you gonna play some DDR?"

He looked at the machine, as if he needed a moment to ponder her question. "It's the same every week, isn't it?" His voice was calm, though he strained its volume slightly to talk over the games.

"Oh yeah," Rage started, "You haven't met Souji, have you?"

He looked at you, and you stared back at him. His dark eyes refused to make contact with yours; he seemed to examine you from head to feet.

"Are you a dancer?" Zero asked.

Besides playing DDR, you couldn't say you were much of a dancer.

"Hmph. I like you already," he said. Despite his word choice, he didn't sound like he cared much about your answer...

"Hey," Rage called to him to get his attention, "do you know if there are any job openings at the hospital? Souji worked as a janitor before and he was just looking for something to do. Think you could put in a good word for him?"

He shrugged. "I wouldn't know what to say about him."

"Well, you guys just go and get to know each other," Rage encouraged, "or just make up some stuff."

Zero sighed. "I'll see what I can do." He hastily walked out of your small group and to another side of the room.

"See, I told you he wasn't all bad," Emi said. "You should go talk to him some more."

You tried not to frown. Truthfully, you thought he was sort of creepy... but you didn't really know him yet. It was worth a shot to learn more about the man, so you looked around that corner of the room and tried to find him.

He was leaning against a wall, around Akira, Alice, and Gus, who seemed to be laughing.

"I'm not locking her up," Akira said.

"Hey, it's that guy again!" Gus said, addressing you. "Akira was just telling us about how you were trying to hide Yuni yesterday."

Ah, of course. You laughed as well, happy that Akira wasn't upset about it. Speaking of him being upset, you wondered if he ever noticed anything about his sword... well, you weren't about to bring it up, so...

"He's getting pretty good at DDR," Gus said to the others, "for having only been here for a couple weeks."

"Will you be playing today?" Alice asked. "I'd like to see."

You figured you would, whenever you got the chance.

"Dance with me."

It was that dark voice again.

You looked in Zero's direction. He was staring at you after issuing his command. You had no choice but to agree to it.

Yuni and Devil Zukin were playing on the machine. With several DDR regulars talking to each other and Rage still recovering from his round, you knew you and Zero were next. He didn't say anything while you waited; he simply stood behind the machine, observing the dancers with his arms crossed.

You weren't sure why he decided to play DDR with you... you saw him play two weeks ago and he was playing incredibly hard songs. Why would he want to play with a beginner like you? You gulped and waited for your turn while awkwardly standing next to the taller man you were about to be up against. The silence for about two songs was awkward, so you wondered what you could ask him. You began to break the ice between you two by asking why he wanted to dance with you.

"To see you dance," he replied, after a pause. He never looked at you; he continued to stare in the machine's direction.

Why would he want to see you dance? That kind of question just seemed annoying. All you knew about him was that he worked at a hospital, so you waited for the silence to be unbearable again before you asked what he did there.

"I'm a surgeon."

A _surgeon_? Him? But he couldn't even be that old... you felt like you had to ask his age immediately afterward.

"23."

He was definitely young for a doctor... you wondered what kind of experiences he had. But surely, they couldn't all be pleasant... perhaps it wasn't something to bring up. Lost in thought, time flew by quickly for you. Before you knew it, Yuni and Zukin were done.

Zero acted as if he forgot you were there. He replaced Zukin on the right side of the machine, so you instinctively switched places with Yuni on the left. You and Zero slid your game cards across the slot on the front to put in two credits.

Still unfamiliar with a majority of the huge list of songs, you rested on the bar as Zero chose something. You noticed that the song was called will (in lowercase letters, for some reason). Like Gus, he changed his arrow speed to x2, and you kept your options the same. After he selected the song on Expert, you awkwardly told him good luck, but he said nothing in reply.

You had placed yourself on Basic and you felt it was a fitting choice. The arrows were making more sense to you than two weeks ago. You still felt a constant need to stay in the middle, but you were given enough time between arrows to get most of them. Now, if only your rhythm was better...

You finished your song with a B, and Zero had earned a grade of AA. You waited for him to continue; he took a brief rest on the bar and then proceeded to select the next song, which was apparently Trickster.

And you wished he'd picked a slower one. Though you managed to survive the jump in BPM from the previous song with a C, you were sort of ashamed when you saw that Zero received another AA.

"Your turn."

You were surprised to hear him speak; so surprised, in fact, the fact that you had no idea what to choose didn't matter for a second.

"I want to see what you prefer."

You were under pressure at that point. Surely, he couldn't judge you by the song you chose... could he?

You slowly went through the song list... you wanted to pick something you weren't going to fail, preferably a song you had already played before. The length of the list was overwhelming... but you felt that the longer you took, the less experienced you looked in front of an expert. A tad humiliated by spending thirty seconds listening to previews, you scrolled down the list to find Inspiration: the first song Emi had you play.

You looked to Zero for a reaction. You thought you saw a smirk.

"Go ahead. Select it."

With no indication that he wanted to change options or anything, you chose the song. The familiar melody and robotic vocals sounded. You tapped your feet to the rhythm before the arrows started, giving you a better feel for the speed of the song.

One, two, three, four... you counted the beats in your head, even when there weren't arrows. You could hear Zero's extra steps pounding next to you, but you focused on your side and tapped your arrows. You barely missed any, or at least you missed fewer than normal.

To your amazement, a single A floated before you. It was the first A you'd received on the game, and you were rather proud.

Apparently, it was just an easy song, though... because Zero got an AAA.

You looked at him, and he seemed to study the screen, just as he did when you first saw him. You tried thanking him for dancing with you to get some kind of response.

He half-nodded. That was about it.

You gave up talking to him and walked off your side of the machine. Seconds later, he appeared behind you.

"If you want that job, you should give me your contact information."

You found him to be a little random, but you decided to exchange numbers with him. You asked him if he needed any more information from you... such as a job history or skills, maybe.

"I know enough," he replied.

He went back to the corner with Gus and the others. Emi, Rage, Yuni, and Devil Zukin seemed to have merged with them into one group, so you followed him there. For the remainder of the night, you took turns playing on the DDR machine. Though you could only play songs at around level five, you were growing more and more confident in your skills. You felt more as if you fit in with the rest of the group.

Then you went back home, wondering if Zero would be able to get you a job, so that your weekends would no longer be as boring...

* * *

(It's 12:40 a.m. and I'm tired. Prolly gonna be procrastinating some chapters. xP)


	16. Chapter 16

(Updated to prove I'm not dead. Slow chapter ahoy~)

* * *

You waited to hear something back from the hospital. Saturday trudged along with nothing particularly interesting happening, but you received a call on Sunday.

"Hello, is this Souji?" a woman asked over the phone. After you answered, she continued. "Yes, well, we could offer you a part-time job as a janitor. What day could we schedule an interview?"

Smiling, you told her you were available at the beginning of the week, and then you agreed to meet her on Tuesday evening at 4:00. You thanked her for the offer and hung up.

Then you realized you had no idea where the hospital was.

But lucky for you, you had Zero's number. He was also the only member of the DDR group that had given you his number... you made a note to ask the others. You had two options... you could call Zero and find out where the hospital was, or you could wait until the following day and ask Emi. You didn't want to bother Zero because he didn't seem like the kind of guy who wanted to talk.

But... why would he have given you his number if you weren't going to be able to call it? Curiously, you took a chance and called him. The phone rang about three times.

"Yes?" he said on the other end.

You apologized for bothering him, and then you asked where the hospital was.

"Oh. If you start from the arcade, you travel up the street, then..."

He plainly directed you to it. He paused a few times, as if second guessing himself, but you managed to draw a map on scrap paper. You told him thanks for the help.

"Don't mention it."

In an attempt to be friendly, you said you'd see him around, as opposed to-

"Goodbye." He hung up. Well, at least he wasn't angry about it. If anything... you suspected he was less bitter than when he first met you. Nevertheless, your life progressed with sleep and schoolwork until...

-.

Tuesday, after school, you made your way to the hospital. You first found the arcade, then tried to follow the directions Zero gave you. You immediately learned it was a long walk, and you were glad you left school rather early.

On your way there, you ran into Alice, who seemed to be going the opposite direction.

"Hi, Souji," she mumbled.

You greeted her. You wondered if she knew where the hospital was, so you decided to ask her if you were heading in the right direction.

"Oh, I know where it's at," she said. "Do you want me to show you?"

You made sure she wasn't going out of her way or anything, but she insisted upon going with you.

"If it'll help, I'd be glad to," she offered.

She was so cute... you stopped trying to say "no" to her and asked her to lead the way. The two of you walked down the street. She seemed like she didn't want to take the lead; you walked close to her side. You asked where she was originally going before she ran into you.

"I was thinking about going to the arcade," she responded. "There aren't a lot of people on weekdays, so it's good for practice."

You agreed with her. After all, that's when you went to practice. You were familiar with her dancing on Fridays, though. She seemed about as good as Emi... sometimes Alice would try a song that she wouldn't pass, but other times, she would pass new songs. She wasn't at the same level as Rage, but you told her that she was already good at DDR.

She blushed. "Oh, not really," she told you. "I want to get better at passing harder songs, but I'm not really serious about it."

She was a modest girl. You wanted to get to know her more, so you continued to ask about her.

"Um... well, I'm from Hong Kong. Right now, I'm a singer and dancer, but I always try to have Fridays off. My other days off just come whenever I can get them, like today... I um, I like to write letters... it's kind of old-fashioned, but I think it's more of a surprise to get a letter in front of you than an e-mail," she smiled to herself, "maybe that makes me kind of sentimental. It's weird, huh?"

You told her it was a good thing to be a little sentimental.

She giggled a little. "If you say so." You were looking at the side of her head. She looked at the ground, shyly. "You're nice to talk to, Souji."

The two of you were crossing a street when...

...!

You were able to form a link with Alice at that moment. Time froze as her sincere words echoed before finding a place in your heart. You were happy, then, to befriend the sweet girl named Alice.

-.

"Here it is," she said when you were before the doors of the hospital. "Good luck on your job!" She bowed and waved to you. You waved back and left her standing outside the door.

You found your way to a specific room. The woman on the phone told you to take the south elevator to the third floor, where a secretary would direct you to the office. You followed her instructions with the use of a map, and you successfully found a woman working at a desk a few feet away. You inquired her about your interview.

"Oh, you're Mr. Seta?" she asked. "Yes, someone will be ready for you in a bit. Please wait here."

You waited in that room. You had prepared a brief resume beforehand, and you reviewed it, having nothing better to do besides read an old magazine.

"Mr. Seta?" a new male voice called. You looked his direction. He was a tall man in a white coat with glasses. "Please come this way."

You rose from your seat and followed him into an office. You were a bit nervous, but you took the brief time spent walking to calm yourself. It was only a janitor job... but you were just worried about the lack of positions available.

You sat down in front of the man's desk and he sat behind it.

"Well, Mr. Seta," he began, "it seems you were recommended by a staff member here. From what we've heard, we think we can open up a part time job for you."

Your face lit up a little. From what he heard...? What did he hear, anyway? You didn't want to let him know you were barely acquainted with Zero... you expressed your surprise in a few words.

"Well, to be honest, all we needed was to know you were willing to work," he said. "But we heard about how you had previous experience, and we were told you were willing to put effort in whatever you wanted to do. So, Mr. Seta, if you want the job, it's yours."

Wow... Zero had apparently been generous. You eagerly agreed to work, and the two of you discussed your schedule.

From then on, your shifts were on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday evenings. The days fit into your school schedule and didn't interfere with the Fridays at the arcade, so you were pleased. You planned to go back on Thursday to begin your training.


	17. Chapter 17

(Two chapters fused together; there's a weird jump in topics, but it's sort of better than two really short chapters)

* * *

You couldn't sleep well on Wednesday night. Not only did you start your job on Thursday, but it had been raining harshly. You were rather bitter that morning as you forced yourself to throw on an outfit and walk to the kitchen in your dorm.

"Didn't sleep well?"

The voice surprised you, but you didn't have the energy to jump. You looked toward the living room area and Robert was there.

"Yeah. The rain was pretty loud last night. I got up early only to realize I didn't even have class today."

How you wished you were him. You, on the other hand, had to get to your first class at 10 A.M., and you had about an hour to get there. Being only fifteen minutes away, you took your time munching on toast and drinking juice.

"So, you've talked to Yuni? What's she like?"

You started to say she was nice, not wanting to say anything negative about her (so you left out the part bout her being a tad spoiled). But you also told him it was a question out of the blue.

"Aaron was asking," Robert said. "That's all."

The guy could've just asked you directly... well, he was still asleep; you assumed he wanted Robert to deliver an answer.

You went to your classes...

-.

The training at the hospital consisted of people telling you what supplies to use and where to find more. There wasn't much different to it from your old job.

"We'll give you a radio in case someone needs you to clean up something right away," a man told you. You received a walkie-talkie to clip onto a pocket and an earpiece. "Until then, feel free to familiarize yourself with the layout of the hospital. Just remember to get some cleaning done while you're at it." He nodded and left you alone.

Unsure of where to start, you found a hallway with some windows you could scrub. Before you started, you hopefully looked around for the one person you might've known at that hospital.

And strangely enough, he was standing around. The familiar dark-eyed man, clad in green scrubs and a nametag, noticed you and took a few steps in your direction. You greeted Zero and thanked him for the job. You told him about how well the interview went, and you were grateful for the things Zero said.

"I only told them what I could interpret from your dancing skills."

You gave him a confused look.

"Your stamina, your will to keep playing the game, your determination to improve upon something you did poorly on before." He shrugged. "Also, you didn't seem like the kind person to bother me on the job, so I saw no reason why I shouldn't get you hired."

He sighed. "I have to check on someone." Without saying goodbye, he walked down the hallway.

Afterward, you were surrounded by strangers, so you took your time and stared out the large windows to the parking lot. You could see the buildings across the street and the mass amounts of cars driving back and forth.

"Room 206 on the south end needs a spill cleaned," you heard on the radio. You found the talk button and let the caller know you were onto it.

As soon as you found the room...

-.

"Hey Souji?'

Emi managed to find you on campus on Friday. You were around the school to meet up with classmates, and you told her about it beforehand. Afterward, you saw her standing in the hallway.

"Rage said he and Akira wanted to talk to you as soon as they could. I guess nobody had your number, so Rage asked me to tell you. You should really exchange numbers with everybody," she finished on a teasing note. "Rage says he's at Yuni's house with Akira. I'll let them know you're on your way, okay?"

You nodded, puzzled as to what Rage's intentions were. Nevertheless, if he took such odd means to contact you, it must've been important, so you made your way to Yuni's residence.

-.

"Welcome, Mister Seta," a green maid said at the door. "Mister Kongouji is waiting for you."

Kongouji? Well, it wasn't Rage's name, so perhaps she was talking about Akira. You began to remove your shoes when the maid began talking again.

"Mister Ito says to bring those with you."

You assumed this had something to do with the TV. But, would it involve Akira this time...? That aside, the maid took you down what was becoming a familiar route through the mansion hallways and to the room with the TV.

Inside the room, Rage, Akira, and surprisingly Devil Zukin waited for you. The maid shut the door and sounded like she walked away.

"We've got bad news," Rage started. "Akira... you wanna tell him what you know?"

The tall man nodded. "The other day... Yuni snuck out of the mansion again. A uniform was missing, so I traveled the city looking for a blonde green maid again. I went to her favorite places, every place I usually check," he paused, "and I failed to find her." Feelings of regret tainted his words. "When it was past midnight, I finally gave up... she never stays out that late, so I figured she had come home. But she hadn't. In fact," he found it hard to continue, "she hasn't come home at all."

"Rage-sama and I believe there is an explanation for her absence," Zukin said. "And... I may have proof... if I may have permission to say it."

"They told me you knew a secret," Akira continued. "If... if there's anything I can do..."

His usual intimidating and powerful demeanor was reduced to a broken voice that sounded as if he was about to beg for your help. It was clear... he was blaming himself for Yuni's disappearance. He wouldn't dismiss it unless you told him the truth.

You took a deep breath, worried about what could happen to Akira after learning what you knew... but you told him anyway, about how people are captured and trapped in the television. From what Zukin implied, you assumed that was why Yuni had gone missing.

"A world inside the television with monsters...?" he asked. "That explains why Zukin needed my sword earlier..."

You forgot that all this time that it belonged to the man standing in front of you. You were about to tell him it was under the couch, but Zukin continued your explanation.

"As I said, I can prove that Yuni's in the television," Zukin said. "I saw her. Wednesday night..."

_"Good evening, citizens," Yuni said sadistically. She wore a red robe and jewel-encrusted crown, both fit for a queen. She was holding what looked like a whip in her hand._

_"Your queen has an important message for you. I'll be looking out for you liars and cheaters and teaching you all a lesson." She snapped her whip on the ground. "The _lucky_ ones will be my new slaves. And my innocent citizens," she grinned, "will watch as justice is served right here on television." She snapped the whip again and cackled for a moment before sitting on a soft-looking scarlet chair._

_"Just wait," she said, resting her chin in her hand, "and they'll all get the punishment they deserve. Learn what's in store for you as long as I, Yuni Verse, rule this kingdom!"_

"I... what?" Akira stammered. "You saw her on television...? I don't remember her playing the role of a queen..."

"A month ago, I would've believed it was a role she played," Zukin said, "but there are too many coincidences to other victims. She's not only missing, but she appeared on TV at midnight when it was raining outside. That had to be her Shadow."

"And a Shadow," Akira tried to piece together, "is... another side of her?" He shook his head.

"We'll go and get her out of there," Rage promised. "All we have to do is get Souji to take us in the TV. He and Zukin already saved me, so saving her will be cake for the three of us."

Akira didn't respond for a moment. He started at the ground in thought. Then he looked at you.

"Please take me with you."

The three of you looked at him questionably.

"It's my job to protect her." He sounded like he had other reasons to be attached to the mission, so you said it was all right with you, but you warned of the dangers that were in there, especially without a Persona.

"I have a weapon," he confirmed. You wondered if he was addressing the sword you stole, which is when you said it was under the couch. You were in an awkward position, because you couldn't strip him of his own weapon just so you could use it...

"I don't use that," Akira responded. He turned to the side and revealed a holster for a gun.

Since when did he have that, anyway...? You never noticed it before.

Quickly, he whipped out the gun out, twirled the black handgun around his finger, and pointed it to your head, about an inch away. You heard a clicking noise and froze for a few seconds.

"It isn't loaded," Akira assured before putting it back. "But I've been trained to handle anything. I may not have a Persona, but I would be able to help."

You took a moment to rid yourself of the fear from the near-death experience. Akira was... interesting to have around, and you welcomed him to the team.

"All right," Rage said, "we can go in and rescue Yuni with Akira! That's two more people than last time. This'll be easy."

"Hold on, Rage-sama," Zukin said. "Today is Friday."

"So...? Crap," he stuttered. "Emi's not gonna be happy if I keep skipping out." He shook his head. "But this is more important! Yuni's trapped in there and we have to get her out!"

"I suggest that you go to the arcade," Zukin suggested. "I don't always go to the arcade, so Emi won't suspect anything. If Yuni doesn't show up, Akira may not be expected either. As for Souji... he simply has no choice but to lead us into the television. But if you don't show up, surely it will worry people. Of course, don't tell anyone we're in the television."

Rage sighed. "Okay, I'll go. I'll... just say I don't know what you guys are up to. You guys better not get hurt, okay?" After getting a nod from all of you, he left the room.

You realized your team was full of awkward quiet people at that point, and you missed Rage already...

"Please take these," Zukin said to Akira. "After seeing Yuni in the television, Konsento and I constructed these glasses. We... planned on making glasses for her, but after seeing your struggles, I suspected we would need to modify them for you first." She gave him glasses with a small black frame around the lenses. "It will make more sense when we're inside."

You asked if everyone was ready, and once they confirmed it, you opened up the television. The screen rippled, and you fell in...

* * *

(Yuni has like the second hardest Shadow to write/imagine, out of the seven-ish I have planned. Then again, I had some help with Rage...)


	18. Chapter 18

(In contrast to the Shadow, Yuni's dungeon was, so far, the most interesting to make up)

* * *

_THUD!_

Akira fell on top of you. The man had to be around 150 pounds of muscle, and your slender frame lay defeated beneath Akira.

"Oh, sorry," he apologized, feeling quite guilty. He rolled over you, then grabbed your body and quickly lifted you onto your feet. "Are you all right?"

You said you were fine, and thanked him for the help. He seemed even more physically powerful than Rage; you were grateful he was on your side.

As he helped you, Devil Zukin tumbled into the floor. She stood and dusted her skirt. "Akira, put on those glasses."

You put on your glasses as well. Akira strained his eyes to see for a moment before putting on the frames he was given. His eyes widened afterward, likely because he was surprised by how clearly he could see.

"This is... I don't know where to start," he mumbled.

You tried to explain what this world was. It was the world behind the television, and Yuni was somewhere around there, along with her Shadow. You asked Zukin if she could locate Yuni. She nodded and summoned Ouze.

The demon Persona helped Zukin focus. Ouze's ears twitched, and the twitching was gradually becoming more rapid. The Persona looked as if she was in pain before she disappeared in dust.

Devil Zukin gasped. You and Akira walked to her side and asked what happened.

"I... I couldn't find her," she confessed. "That didn't happen before... it's as if... I can't identify what I'm looking at or what I'm looking for. It was a blur... I imagined Yuni's Midnight Channel showing, and to the best of my ability, Yuni herself, but I couldn't see her." She placed her gloved hands on her head, stressed. "I know that with Rage-sama, all I had to do was think of him... I could follow where he was just by my instincts..."

Was it because she knew Rage better than Yuni? Teddie and Rise's powers were limited by how well they knew the person... you said this aloud and asked Akira if he could provide any assistance.

"You want to know something about Yuni?" he said, a little embarrassed. "Well, she... has a strong will... she's usually confined in her mansion, but if she wants something, she'll make it happen..."

So she's forceful? Spoiled, maybe? Perhaps you were getting somewhere. You asked if there was anything that particularly made her stressed... something that would make her Shadow appear.

Akira thought about it. "She has to live up to everyone's expectations... she can't afford any bad publicity, or she may lose her job." He paused again. "She can act nice to people she doesn't like... I think she's used to people pretending to be nice to her in return."

"Through that perspective, she must live through many lies," Zukin reasoned. She crossed her arms and closed her eyes. "Shall I try again?"

You nodded.

Zukin relaxed as her Persona reappeared. Again, Ouze united with Zukin and tried to sense Yuni's presence. After a single twitch of her ears, Zukin spoke.

"I see her," she mumbled. Ouze faded and Zukin opened her eyes. "Follow me."

-.

You, Zukin, and Akira came across a large building. There was a lit up sign that read "VERSE STUDIOS" and it appeared to have carts without drivers to the side.

"A film studio?" Zukin said aloud. "But she was dressed as a queen... I expected a castle."

Your team opened the door at the front entrance to the studio, not knowing what to expect.

The lights were off, and Akira and Zukin came in behind you. When the three of you were inside the building, the door automatically shut behind you, leaving you in the dark for about five seconds until three bright spotlights pointed at you. You and the others shielded your eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness. As you did so, you heard a voice.

"Oh," Yuni's surprised voice echoed, "do I see new people? You better not be naughty or I'll have to teach you a lesson!"

As she was talking, you tried to search for some sort of light switch. You found one a few inches away from the door you entered and clicked it on. The tall room lit up and the spotlights shut off. The room was bare, as if it was only a warehouse.

"An empty set?" Zukin questioned.

The three of you stood silently for a moment, until you could hear someone running. You tried to find the source of the footsteps, but the room echoed too much.

Zukin shrieked!

You and Akira looked in her direction and saw that some sort of burglar held onto her. He couldn't have been human; judging by Zukin's strength in the past, you knew she couldn't be immobilized so easily.

You began to call out your Persona, but before you could even think of which one to use-

BANG!

You jumped, barely noticing that the monster had been injured. It let go of Zukin, and she scurried away from it.

You saw that Akira had his gun pointed to the monster. He held onto it with two hands, and when Zukin escaped safely, he fired three more shots at it. You couldn't just stand there, so you pulled out the sword (that you now called your own) and slashed the monster into Shadow pieces. It dissolved into the air.

"Cut!" a male voice said. You were confused... who was he?

"That's not right at all," he continued. "The _girl_ was supposed to beat the criminal, not the bodyguard! And what's with the third guy?"

"I don't need you coming after me!" Yuni said. "Let me do this on my own!"

You were _even more_ confused. At this point, the voices usually didn't make much sense anyway...

But Akira seemed taken aback by the words.

"Like before," Akira mumbled. You and Zukin faced him. "Yuni's usually safe, but she's been caught, a time or two. She always believes she can make it on her own." He stopped talking. "No, she can't get out of this now. We have to save her."

You nodded and signaled the two to follow you. Luckily, there was only one door to open, and that door led to a set of stairs.

Up the stairs and through another room, you found what was likely another set. There was a swimming pool and a realistic sky above you; the strange transition from place to place made you feel like you were in a dream. When you stepped closer, you noticed that the pool was drained of water. You decided it would be faster to go through the wide pool than to walk around it, so you jumped in and began walking. The pool was completely dried out, so you didn't slip at all. Your comrades followed you.

About a minute later, Zukin froze and gasped. "This... this is a trap. We need to get out of here!"

You and Akira were unsure of what to do, being halfway across. You suggested running to the end, and the others agreed, picking up their paces.

But Zukin's warning came too late.

"And... ACTION!"

The man's voice (a director, probably?) had called zombie-like creatures into the pool at your destination. They waved their arms around carelessly; they looked more drunk than dangerous, but their numbers made you uneasy. You skidded to a halt and searched for another ladder to exit, but the monsters were coming at you from all sides. You knew you were going to have to fight, so you asked Zukin for advice.

"Hold them off; I'll examine them," she requested. She summoned Ouze again while you glanced at Akira for help. The tall man saw you and pulled out his gun before loading it with a fresh set of bullets.

Your physical skills weren't strong enough to take on the army that was heading in your direction, and had there been any water, you would've been unable to use electricity. Because it was dry, you summoned Odin. The powerful soldier cast Maziodyne on several of the enemies on your side. You could barely see what was going on through the flashes of lighting.

Zukin was immobile as long as Ouze held onto her. You were worried that someone in this ambush would hurt her, so you did your best to protect her.

"Electricity... has little effect," the bat girl mumbled, "try something else."

You frowned and switched Odin with Norn, and cast the wind spell Magarudyne across the area. You noticed that it seemed to do even less damage.

"They block wind," Zukin said. She sounded fearful, and you couldn't blame her; the monsters were coming closer by the second.

You glanced in Akira's direction. His gun seemed to be notably effective. Could physical attacks be the right answer?

You switched Norn for Futsunushi and submitted your strength to the Persona so that he could use Heat Wave. It sent an attack of raw power through the room, though primarily toward the enemies you faced. One by one, they fell and disappeared into dust.

"No, no!" Yuni's voice echoed. "The party was just getting started! Why did you guys have to come and ruin it?"

You chose to ignore her. You ran to the other end, but you only heard one set of footsteps behind you. You paused and saw that Zukin had been following you closely, but Akira was hesitating. You asked him if he was okay.

"Sorry," he said, "I was just thinking." Once he caught up to you, your team found the ladder at the other end of the empty pool and climbed out. Again, there was only one door that led to another staircase. This was the least confusing dungeon you'd ever been in.

At least until the next floor.

The third floor was more like what you were used to. You were in a prison-like hallway with several doors on each side. The walls were gray and you could see a few empty cells. Faintly, you could hear a man's voice...

"Let me out!"

It sounded familiar, but it was too quiet. Was someone else in the television...?

"We should search for that person," Zukin said. "But we will have to look everywhere. Shall we split up?"

You and Akira agreed to it, then the three of you scattered. You were a little worried for them, but they were both physically fit enough to handle a few small monsters... or at least loud enough to scream for help if they needed it.

As you and the others opened more and more doors, you could hear that someone must've been getting closer to the mystery person.

"Help! I'm trapped!"

The voice was clearer. You backtracked, knowing then that you were going the wrong direction. His cries for help continued to echo through the halls until you found the prisoner.

Akira was in the room, staring at a copy of himself in the cell.


	19. Chapter 19

"Why is... why am _I_ here?" Akira asked.

The copy that stood in the cell was definitely Akira's Shadow. He was gripping tightly onto the bars. How he materialized behind a place neither you nor Akira had been was a mystery, but that didn't matter.

"You guys, save me," the Shadow begged, "I don't want to be here anymore!"

The two of you didn't know what to do. There was no lock and no door to open, just bars.

"We... can't," Akira told the Shadow. "Souji, what do we do?"

A bit puzzled, you asked the Shadow how he got there.

"I've been here ever since that... that _witch_ put me here," the Shadow grumbled. "She wants me to be her slave; she's always ordering me around and neglecting me... I just want to get out of here!"

Akira raised a pointed eyebrow. "What witch?"

"You know, Yuni!"

Akira gritted his teeth. "Don't talk about her like that."

"It's the truth!" the Shadow yelled. "You know it!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Akira denied.

At this time, you noticed Devil Zukin had shown up. The prisoner's raised voice must've made him easier to find.

"To her, I'm just a pet," the Shadow vented, clenching tighter onto the bars. "She only likes having me around when she wants me for something. I'm just being used by her, controlled by her..."

"You're exaggerating far too much," the real Akira argued.

"But you've been thinking it, haven't you?" his Shadow taunted. "She doesn't see you as a person, nothing like the way you see her. You're stuck with her, even if she treats you like trash."

"She's not like that."

"She most certainly is. Any act of kindness is just an act itself... you, of all people, would know that she's full of lies."

He gave Akira a chance to comment, but he didn't. The Shadow continued.

"Upstairs, right now, her true self is holding a whip, waiting for you to get up there so she can strike you with it and be completely in control. But you want to go up there, and you want to take it from her and punish her for being the spoiled brat she is, don't you?"

"Shut up!" he yelled. "I told you not to talk about her like that!"

"Admit it!" the Shadow said. "That's what I want, and that means that's what you want!"

"I don't!" he yelled. "You aren't me!"

The Shadow possessed a menacing grin.

"Look out!" Zukin shouted. She pulled Akira toward the doorway and you ran behind them, just before the Shadow bashed the bars hard enough to send them flying forward, barely missing you. The Shadow stepped out of his cell and turned toward your slightly fearful team.

"Finally," he said, "finally... I'm free!"

He stretched out his arms, as if catching a mass amount of power. Dark auras circled around him and engulfed him. The auras merged and grew in size; when they dissipated, Akira's Shadow had become a reptile, wearing a very torn shirt too small for him and torn pants. There were broken shackles around his ankles and wrists.

"Akira!" Zukin shouted at the original, who was resting on the floor, probably unconscious. You told her you needed her help to beat this Shadow, and she obeyed by calling Ouze.

To hold off the monster, you summoned Loki. You used Niflheim to freeze the monster, as well as deal a mass amount of icy damage.

"I won't..." the demon muttered, head sticking out from ice. He trembled and managed to break open the wall of ice. "I won't be trapped anymore!"

The monster extended razor sharp claws from his fingers and tried to slash you. You trusted Loki, and the Persona managed to counter the attack. The Shadow stumbled backward but continued a slashing Rampage attack. Loki took two hits for you, and you rushed around he and the Shadow to deliver a slash to the monster's back. As he hissed in pain, Loki casted Bufudyne to refreeze the monster.

"No," Zukin said, "ice is not the most effective... I think you should try using wind..."

You were hesitant to lose Loki's High Counter ability, but you listened to your ally and switched him for Norn. During the summon, the monster charged in your direction. His right arm was high behind his back, ready to strike. You hurriedly commanded Norn to use Garudyne and blew the monster away, back into the cell it had just broken out of. You hard a loud crash as it hit the wall, and dust and debris began to float out. You realized the monster was terribly weak to wing and wasn't coming back out, so you rushed to Akira's side. Devil Zukin stopped channeling Ouze and went to help as well.

Akira stirred a little.

"Are you all right?" Zukin asked softly.

"I... think so," the man replied. "What happened to me...?"

"If you mean yourself, you were knocked out," Zukin answered. "If you mean your Shadow... he is over there." She pointed to the broken cell.

Akira said nothing and made his way to the cell. The dust seemed to be dying down, but he waved the flying smoke-like debris away from his face. You and Zukin watched him from behind. His Shadow, back in a form that resembled Akira, was sitting at the back of the crumbled wall, head facing the floor in defeat.

"You want to be free, don't you?" Akira began. "You want people to stop using you? I know... I don't say anything but... I always feel like I'm being used. Not just by Yuni... by others, by people who treat me more like a slave or a pet than a human. You knew that, and it drove you so insane that you became a monster." He paused. "But you can rejoin me now. You are a part of me, after all."

The Shadow stood for a moment to face Akira before it rose and created a shining aura that briefly blinded Akira. When the light faded, the Shadow was replaced with an anthropomorphic dragon wearing an armored sleeveless shirt and dark pants. The dragon then faded into a card form and floated into Akira's soul. The man gently caught the falling card and accepted it.

You and Zukin walked up to him and asked what the Persona's name was.

"I heard the name... Lu-Yan," he said. "I think that's his name."

You commended him on accepting his other self. You asked him if he wanted to continue exploring the dungeon.

Akira thought about it for a moment. "I think we could go farther... the question is, are you all right? While I was out... you had to take down that monster, didn't you?"

You thought about your own condition, but you promised to take him as far as the room before Yuni. You knew you would be unable to fight another powerful Shadow, but as long as you made it to the end, you could continue from there the next time you were in.

-.

On the next-highest floor, the room was dark. There was a false night sky above your group, and you seemed to be in some sort of park with a sidewalk path through a few trees and benches. You decided to stay on the path. Your team traveled in an awkward silence (besides the sounds of different types of shoes hitting the ground) for a few minutes.

You soon ran into a fork in the road. Instinctively, you ran to the right until you heard voices to your left...

"Hey, come back," a boy said, "I'm not trying to scare you."

"I'm not scared," a girl said, "I just... don't want to be here."

"Don't you like me?"

"I... I don't..."

Akira gasped. "That's... that's Yuni!"

He ran off to the left sidewalk, and you and Zukin seemingly had no choice but to follow him. The boy kept talking.

"Now, now, don't do anything you don't want the press to know about. Just do what I say, and I won't tell them anything bad..."

"I-I'm sorry, I don't trust you, even if-"

"You don't have to _trust_ me, just do what I say!"

Akira ran at full speed and pulled the gun out of its holster. He readied it at his side, while you and Zukin struggled to keep up. You prepared your sword as you dashed across the sidewalk.

Akira screeched to a halt upon seeing that the sidewalk led to a wall at the end of the room. He cursed something under his breath.

"Yuni!" he shouted. "Where are you?"

"Go away!" her voice echoed. "Go away, you fakes and liars! You all just want something from me! I don't need you!"

"It was a lure," Devil Zukin said. "Those voices... they were taking us here so that we would- ahh!" A monster hit her on her side. You and Akira were worried for a second until she rolled on the ground and tripped the creature before kicking it in the face.

You looked up and noticed you were being cornered by thin alien-like monsters. Their faces were missing features, but they possessed a single circular camera lens in the middle. Some had bright lights instead of lenses, and those creatures tried to shine in your eyes.

You noticed Devil Zukin was too occupied physically fighting off monsters to call Ouze. You shouted to Akira to use his Persona.

"Right now?" he said through gunshots. He tried to focus, but he panicked too much to release his power. You ran to protect him, slashing at enemies that were in your way. You knew your team wouldn't get anywhere trying to fight so many enemies, and you believed that Akira could use his Persona if he had the chance. Once you knocked several enemies away, you commanded him to try again.

"P... Persona!"

You heard another gunshot, probably because he shot the shot the card Lu-Yan was stored in. The dragon appeared behind you, and while you couldn't see what was going on, you noticed several electric bolts shoot from above. A step below Maziodyne; he likely used Mazionga.

The attack electrocuted the camera and light monsters, as if shorting out their circuits. They began to explode before your eyes in loud crashes before fading into Shadow dust.

Panting, you congratulated Akira on his successful summon. He looked rather nervous, but proud.

"I came to be of help," he said, "glad I was useful."

"Useful," Zukin began," and not used... correct?" She sounded as if she was checking up on him.

"Yeah," he confirmed. "It wasn't because you didn't want to finish them off; you believed in me. Thank you, Souji."

You modestly told him you didn't need thanks, but you were interrupted by Yuni's echoing voice.

"Why?" she asked. "Why are you coming closer? Don't come any closer or I'll punish you all!"

You saw Akira grin. "That sounds like an invitation," he said. "Let's keep going."

You and the others backtracked to the fork and took the correct path that time, until it led you to another set of stairs. You saw that you were in a small hallway, similar to the last room in Yukiko's castle. The walls and floors were covered in elegant red patterns, and there were two large adjacent doors in front of you.

Once up to that floor, Zukin became alert.

"This is the final floor," she said, "I can sense Yuni over there."

Akira began to run in front of you, but you put a hand on his shoulder (which was hard to reach, as it was much higher than your shoulder). You told him the battle would have to wait. Yuni's Shadow was powerful, and the three of you probably wouldn't survive. You wanted to bring Rage back as well.

Akira looked you in the eye during your explanation, but he turned away after you were done. He moved his shoulder as if to shake off your hand, which you pulled back to yourself.

"I trust Souji's plan," Devil Zukin advised. "When Rage was captured, we left him alone for another day, and he was rescued in time. As long as it doesn't rain, Yuni will be there, waiting for you tomorrow."

...!

You made a gulping noise and Zukin gave you a concerned yet confused look. You reluctantly told them that you had to work tomorrow, during the late afternoon. You remembered in your last adventure that any trip into the television would leave you far too tired to go out and work, and you could never guarantee what time you would be out of the TV. You told them you would be unable to lead them in the television the next day, but you swore that Yuni would be okay.

"You could," Akira started to suggest, but he never finished his sentence, "no... I'll respect your decision. But you know... this will be hard on me." He tried to mask his pain with a sarcastic smile, but the way his voice trembled a little bit indicated he was worried, and he was likely still angry at himself for letting her get caught at all.

You reassured him that he didn't need to worry. But surely, you couldn't dismiss a person's uncertainty in words...

Ouze appeared and wrapped the three of you in a warm light. You teleported back to the TV set you came in from, and your team dove back through the television screen to get out.

* * *

(I doubt it's canon, but Akira was fun to write.)


	20. Chapter 20

(I did a lot of very last minute tweaks; I encourage everyone to look for typos and I will totally fix them. There were also a few stray senteces that, after one revision, wouldn't fit with other sentences cause I took out what a character was referring to. Yes, that is confusing; that's why I hope it isn't a problem after so many revisions. xD)

* * *

You were initially filled with guilt while working at the hospital on Saturday, but you realized that you had a commitment. You polished the windows rather often to watch the weather; throughout the day, the sun was shining and clouds were nearly absent. It was too beautiful of a day for you to be worried.

You found yourself daydreaming often while at work, at least until someone called you to a specific room. That day, you were wondering what Yuni's Shadow was like. Unlike Rage, you barely knew her beforehand. But you were able to talk to her once... her habits of sneaking out, which were what led to her capture in the first place. Yet no one expected her to be caught in the TV world, especially when the Midnight Channel didn't function as a ransom note anymore. The hardest thing to get out of your mind was that Yuni's well-being had been placed in the hands of Akira, and the seemingly strong man had been rather torn about losing her. You knew you had to save Yuni, for both their sakes.

-.

Saturday morning, you met with Akira, Devil Zukin, and Rage in the TV room at Yuni's mansion.

"Hey Souji!" Rage shouted with excitement. "Look what I got!" He proudly held up a large shield. "I can bash some Shadows with this big thing!"

"And defend yourself as well," Zukin stated. "Now, if we're all ready, let's continue where we left off on Friday..."

-.

Once inside, Ouze took you to the last hallway. You looked to the others in your party to see if they were prepared. Zukin looked focused, Rage grinned back, and Akira was determined. You took their expressions as good signs and opened the doors.

Yuni was there, wearing the green maid outfit she probably used to initially escape the mansion.

"What kind of place is this?" Yuni yelled. "Stop saying 'action,' I can't do anything without any lines!"

"Action!" the director called. Yuni let out a dramatic groan.

"I am the queen of this kingdom," you heard Yuni's Shadow say. You couldn't see her, though; the back half of the room was pitch dark, but you could see a vague dark shape of a girl with glowing eyes sitting in a chair. "What brings you here today?"

"I just wanna know where I am!" the original replied.

"I see. Take a step closer, and everything will make sense."

"I tried that earlier, but I can't see anything up there. All that's back there is a big dark room with some crazy girl giving me orders."

"Cut!" the director said. "Let's try again..."

"Ugh!" Yuni grabbed her head and fell to the ground.

"Action!"

"I am the queen of this kingdom. What brings you here today?"

Yuni's speech was angry. "Where. Am. I?"

"There's a switch," Zukin commented, too softly for Yuni to hear. "It's rather high... she probably couldn't reach it. We need someone tall to reach it." You looked up; it was the right height for Akira.

"Take a step closer..."

Akira clicked the switch and the lights came on. Yuni stood up again upon seeing the Shadow that stared back at her.

"... and everything will make sense."

This time, Yuni walked up to her. Her Shadow stood up, whip in her right hand. She lightly tapped it against her leg as she met Yuni in the middle of the room.

"Tell me something about you," the copy requested.

"I uh... I look like you?" Yuni said. "That's really creepy, you know. Are you some kind of stalker?"

The Shadow shook her head. "That's not what you're supposed to say," she said. "Your lines are: 'I'm Yuni. I'm a 16-year-old actress with an attitude. Ever since I started his career, people have been sucking up to me and lying about who they are to get close to me, and I can't ruin my reputation without lying in return. No matter how rich and spoiled I get, I will always be at the mercy of the media and the people who pay me.'"

"H-huh?" Yuni was shocked. "What are you..."

"Then I say, 'why don't you do something about it? If you can't beat the people above you, rule over them. You _want_ control of everything, after all, you spoiled brat.'"

Yuni stammered, with a mix of anger and confusion.

"Aren't you going to ask how I memorized your lines?"

Yuni crossed her arms. "Fine. How did you memorize my 'lines?'" she asked, putting heavy air quotes over "lines."

"Because I'm you."

Yuni tilted her head. "Who wrote this script?"

"The truth is, this part is real. What you're looking at is yourself."

"No way!" she said. "You look like me, but after all the crap you put me through for the past day, I can at least say I'm not as mean as you are!"

"I was just using you for my own entertainment," she argued. "You don't like being bored, do you?"

"Well, I don't use people like that to be entertained."

"Of course you do. You put yourself before everyone else. You lie to the media so they like you, and you break your way out of your mansion, worrying the people around you, just to have some fun. Turn around."

She agitatedly looked back, and she was startled to see you and your group.

"Wait... what's going on? Why is Akira here? And Zukin and Rage and," she snapped her hand a few times, "that new guy?"

"Those are the people you use," the Shadow said. "Every day. For entertainment, for protection... for whatever they'll do for you." The copy paused, giving Yuni a chance to think about it.

"'Gee, I don't have a selfless bone in my body,'" the Shadow continued. "Isn't that what I was about to say?"

"I... you... what? Agh, you're so confusing!"

"'Oh, what a temper I have! So many things I've wanted to shout at people, so many times I've had to lie to get people to like me... even to myself, just to believe I'm still a good person!' Isn't that right, me?"

Yuni flailed her arms violently for a second. "You're... I'm not... you're not me!"

The Shadow ducked her head and began cackling. Her voice was low and rose to Yuni's higher pitched feminine voice before sending a pulse that knocked Yuni over. Your group rushed to her side; she remained on the ground, unconscious.

"I will take her to safety," Zukin began, lifting the blonde girl, "the three of you should prepare for battle."

You eyed Rage and Akira before you each summoned a Persona.

"Benkei!"

"Lu-yan!"

"_Norn!_"

As the Personas materialized to help you, clouds of shadow swirled around the former copy. When they faded, you saw that the Shadow took the form of a large, questionably overweight queen with a black dress and a fuzzy red cape rested on her shoulders and over her back. Jewelry was draped around most of her body: her head, her neck, and the belt around her waist. Her pointed demonic eyes glared at your small army.

"Three against one?" Shadow Yuni's distorted voice complained. "I won't allow that. Come, my slaves!"

She snapped a whip to the ground, and two armored knights came to guard her. She stretched the whip in front of her, as if holding some sort of wand, and cast a spell on them.

"Their defense increased," Zukin clarified. "Be careful."

"What should we do?" Akira asked you. "Should we start with her, or should we take them out first?"

You didn't know if Shadow Yuni could summon more or not. You asked Akira and Rage if they could take down the Shadow while you covered the knights.

"If you say so," Akira agreed. "I'll try my best." He pulled out his gun and ran for Yuni's Shadow. Rage gave you a thumbs up and wished you good luck before heading to Shadow Yuni.

Meanwhile, you had Norn cast Magarudyne on both of the knights. The energy of the wind attack impaled both of them but didn't seem to do much with their thick armor. You had Norn cast Debilitate to bring their stats back to normal; this lowered their extra defense. Afterward, you saw that your attacks were doing a greater amount of damage. You could only hope that the others were keeping Shadow Yuni too busy to grant them extra power again, and judging by the sounds of gunshots, fire, and electricity, you thought they were successful.

"AAH!"

"Akira!"

You heard Akira scream! Following his cry for help and Rage's shout, you heard the gunman slam on the ground. You had your hands tied with the knights, and you asked Zukin if she had any idea how much of their stamina remained.

"One is weakened by wind!" she answered. "But they're moving too fast. It's impossible to tell you which one it is."

Wanting to retain your spirit power, you carefully watched the knights as you bombarded them with wind attacks. The one closer to your right was stumbling more, and you could tell that he was nearly about to die. You blasted him with Garudyne and he fell down, unwilling to get up.

It was a mistake.

While Norn's abilities filled you with extra power, the other knight had run off to cast his own spell. You saw a small bright light emit from his sword and transfer to Shadow Yuni. The spoiled Shadow abused Rage's Persona while Akira still lay helpless on the ground, Lu-Yan nowhere in sight.

"He restored her health," Zukin told you, "get him!"

You saw that Rage's flailing style was no match for Shadow Yuni's whips and wind spells. Quickly mustering up a plan, you shouted at Rage to trade places with you.

"Huh? Whatever you say," he yelled back, ready to assist you. You ran to Shadow Yuni and he bolted to the remaining knight. You knew Norn could absorb wind, but more importantly, you had to help Akira. You needed a resurrection spell, and so you thought of the ultimate Persona of the Lovers arcana...

"_Ishtar!_"

The beautiful horned woman in white garments appeared to protect you, but you let her know that she needed to help Akira first. Ishtar revived Akira with Samarecarm, so that he was back to his full self again. When he began to stand up, he was notably confused.

"I thought I," he began, but you told him you were still in battle and you needed his help. There was little you could do with Ishtar besides absorb one of Shadow Yuni's wind spells, so you commanded Akira to attack while you switched for someone else. He called his dragon Persona again and chose to combat Shadow Yuni physically. The Shadow was apparently rather sluggish, and Lu-Yan stalled her in time for you to summon Loki.

"Hey, don't forget about me!"

Rage had apparently finished off the other knight and led Benkei behind Shadow Yuni. You and Akira spread out, and the three of you formed a sort of triangle around the queen.

"Hey? What's going on? S-stop it, I say!" she tried to command you.

Agilao...

Zionga...

Bufudyne...

All at once, your Personas launched waves of fire, thunder, and ice. The fire burned out just before the ice, and the Shadow was both burned and frozen in an ice cube. Rage let out a battle cry and Benkei bashed the block open, shattering the ice and knocking out Yuni's Shadow once and for all.

"It's over," Zukin announced.

"All right!" Rage shouted. "We took down our first real Shadow as a team!"

"We can't celebrate just yet," Akira said calmly.

You and the other men went to check on Yuni, who was still next to Devil Zukin. The bat girl tried to help Yuni stand.

"Anybody wanna explain what just happened?" Yuni asked, holding her head for a little bit. "Not to be... rude or anything..." She looked guilty.

"She was acting like you," Zukin said. "Do you not believe that?"

Humiliated, she quickly scanned your concerned faces before looking at the ground. "I... wish she hadn't said..."

"Please talk to her," Zukin asked, "and tell her you understand."

Yuni glanced at the Shadow, who was standing in the middle of the room. The real Yuni spoke as she walked closer.

"I don't want to lie," she started, "but I do anyway. I always want people to like me for me and not my money, but I don't even let my true self show sometimes. Because if I did, they'd see that I'm just a bossy spoiled rich girl. I wanted to lie about all that, but it's too late now that everyone found out, so there's no denying it anymore. You were just good at acting like me because you are me, and only I can play the role of myself."

The Shadow was accepted, and it floated in the air. The copy of Yuni had transformed in a flash of light, resulting in a pale and long haired Persona clad in black and purple ninja attire with pointed toes and claws. She faded into card form and fell gently into Yuni.

Excitedly, your team rushed to Yuni's side.

After the card sank into her soul, Yuni's hand remained up, as if holding something invisible. "That girl," she rambled, "I think her name is... Tsutomu." She began to faint, but Zukin and Akira caught her. The bat girl handed Yuni to the bodyguard.

"Let's get out of here," Akira suggested.

You led the others to the spot of light to take you out of the building...

-.

Yuni managed to recover some strength after leaving the TV. She rested on the couch and set a few pillows against one of the arm rests and rested her head on them. She lay on her back, facing the ceiling.

"I need a nap," she complained. "Hey, what's today, anyway?"

You told her it was Sunday.

"Huh really? Last I remembered, it was... Wednesday, I think." She moaned. "That means I gotta go back to school tomorrow..."

"Rest, then," Akira lightly ordered. "If you're missing much longer, people will start to suspect something.

"Shouldn't they?" Yuni argued. "I mean, someone just kidnapped me! The police should be after that... that _jerk_!"

"I thought the same thing," Rage said, "but Souji's been over this before. The police aren't gonna believe you or anyone was in the TV without some solid proof."

"If we make this public, the kidnapper might make a more elaborate plan to get rid of us," Akira said. "As long as we lay low, we should be safe."

"But our survival must prove that we're getting out," Zukin said. "Surely, that will raise suspicions."

"The point is," Rage said, "getting the police involved won't do any good. We gotta handle this on our own. Agreed?"

You and everyone else seconded his proposal.

"Anyway," Yuni said. "Sorry guys, but this is getting noisy... any chance you can carry on this conversation another day?"

You apologized for keeping her, and you realized that you needed to get home and study as well. You said your goodbyes to everyone and followed Zukin and Rage out the door.

"Wait, Souji."

Akira stopped you just as you were outside the door. He went out of the room and closed the door behind him. The bat girl and takoyaki chef looked back, but they continued walking after noticing the call wasn't for them.

"I wanted to thank you for helping me save Yuni," he said. "And for saving me. Without you, I never would've..."

You told him it was no problem. You were happy to be the leader, and you thanked him for fighting alongside you in the end.

Akira nodded. "Right. I'd be honored to continue to help."

Like that, Akira trusted you. You saw what looked like a smile just before you felt another social link form between you two. As time locked for a moment, you could tell that you'd earned his trust.

You smiled back at him and told him you had to get going. He waved goodbye, and you made your way down the hallways and out the door, heading back to your dorm.

* * *

(I just now realized that Agi plus Bufu plus Zio equals Tri Attack from Pokemon and that is pretty awesome in a nerdy way. Did not plan that, I just liked Loki.)


	21. Chapter 21

(Short, pointless chapter. My teachers are trying to kill me, just as I anticipated, and that is why I'm still updating very slowly. xP)

* * *

"Akira must've kept you busy on Friday, huh?" Emi questioned you on Monday. "What were you guys doing?"

You hadn't taken much time to think of an excuse... thinking back to a few weeks ago, you told Emi that Akira needed help finding Yuni again. Good, good. Emi wouldn't question Yuni's whereabouts if you were simply looking for her; it was as close to the truth as you could get.

"Oh, okay," she said, "I was having trouble texting Yuni all weekend... it's weird that she would escape and not go to the arcade first. I was worried about her."

You argued that that would probably be the first place Akira would look.

"I guess..."

You had a bad feeling Emi would soon suspect that something else was going on...

-.

One strange thing about Emi was that you had been talking to her frequently a little bit each day, yet while you were able to form bonds with others, you had yet to start one with her. You had assumed with her generosity and openness, you would've experienced some sort of link since you met her. But if you wanted to fully break the wall between the two of you, you would need to do more than the small talk you usually exchanged with her.

But is that what she wanted? Maybe the reason there was no link was because she simply didn't want another close and personal friend. But you liked Emi. Without her, you would've never met everyone else, and you would've never cared to play DDR in front of a crowd. She seemed sweet and outgoing, but that was about all you knew. You wanted to get to know her, whether you could form a link or not.

Wednesday, you asked her if you wanted to practice DDR. Her face lit up.

"Really? You want to go, just to play DDR?" she exclaimed. "Definitely! I'll meet you at your dorm at 3:00, okay?"

You agreed to it, and told her where your dorm was.

-.

It was raining, but as you and Emi walked to the arcade, she skipped happily every few minutes or so. The two of you each had an umbrella. No matter how much rain fell from the sky, nothing seemed to hurt Emi's high spirits.

"Sometimes I come here by myself," she rambled. "I love having someone to play with, though. Rage is usually working at his takoyaki stand. I really like his food, but I gotta do something to work it off, huh?"

You chuckled. You flattered her by saying she looked fine to you; a little fun food didn't hurt.

"Rage tells me that, too," she said. "I always thought it was typical boyfriend stuff. That, or a way to get me to eat his food. It's nice to hear that from you, Souji."

It was a long walk to the arcade. You tried to prolong the conversation (or at least your side of it; Emi always had something to say about whatever building, person, or object you walked by). You asked her how college was treating her.

"Oh, sometimes it's a drag," she complained. "The teacher in our class has called me after to talk sometimes. I guess I'm just not doing well on any quizzes. I've been thinking about looking for a tutor. But I'm doing well in my other classes. And I like how the environment's all different from high school."

You offered to help her with her homework sometimes. Just... not until Sunday, because you were rather busy until then.

"Oh, that'd be great! I like doing homework better with friends than with strangers." She skipped again. "I think we'll be really good friends, Souji."

There it was.

As her foot tapped the ground, you felt a wave of energy through your body. You were still as another link formed; the one between you and Emi. Even if you couldn't take her in the Shadow world, she was important to you, and you were important to her.

-.

The rain hadn't let up, and you tried once again to watch the Midnight Channel. Still, nothing appeared on your screen.

That foggy Thursday, just before you went to work, you ran into Devil Zukin, who had apparently been waiting for you.

"Are you sure you cannot see the Midnight Channel?" she questioned. "Nothing was there again, if that is of any interest to you."

You were relieved, and thanked her for the information.

"It leaves me to question... is it the television that doesn't work... or did someone do something to you?"

You pondered it, but you told her about how she and Rage were the only people to notice. You wanted to know what the two of them had in common, and what no one else had.

"No one else regularly stays up so late," she replied. "But I have requested that Yuni and Akira watch as well. She was in school until about an hour ago... I believe our group should meet before going to the arcade."

You agreed to talk to everyone Friday afternoon.

"I will gather the others," she informed. "See you tomorrow."

-.

Working in the hospital, you tried to get a feel for the layout of the building. It was only about four stories high, but you were nowhere near familiar with the location of each room. Thankfully, the numbering on the floors was similar, save for the locations of the check-in desks and cafeteria which made the numbering of the rooms a bit off.

You were on a mission to find 128 C when you ran into a familiar girl with long blue hair. Despite the fear of getting in trouble, you had to stop to see if that was really her.

Alice was just as surprised to meet you. "Oh! Souji, you work here?"

You confirmed that. You told her Zero got him the job... which you were supposed to be doing. You quickly apologized and said bye before continuing your search. Your one regret was you never asked her why she was there in the first place... was she there to visit someone? If she wanted to see a sick patient, perhaps it was something personal and it was better to leave her alone, anyway...

* * *

(I proofread this like days ago, please point out and oddities you find, especially cause I switched the last two scenes around at the last minute.)


	22. Chapter 22

(Interesting note: the fic got to 100 pages around this chapter so I started a new document after this one. xP  
This chapter could've prolly had a number of things edited out and edited better but... it's okay, I hope.)

* * *

"Souji!"

Steve, whom you hadn't talked much to in the past week, seemed to want something from you. Clueless as to what he wanted, you answered him.

"Hey, so what about going to the arcade this week?"

You just remembered you promised to take him to the arcade about two weeks ago. You and he both had plans the previous week; this week he was free... but you sort of weren't. You wanted to simply tell him you would be at Yuni's before going to the arcade, but you knew he couldn't come along to discuss the murders. The DDR players probably couldn't even begin any talk until Yuni arrived home after school. Would you have time to make it back to the dorm in a timely manner?

You would attempt to make it work, so you officially invited Steve to come and play games that night, probably after 6:00 or so. You explained you would be out just before going to the arcade, but you would be back. Until then, you had to find your way to Yuni's again...

-.

You arrived just after 3:00, knowing that Yuni was out of school at that time. A maid once again showed you to the TV room, where you met with Devil Zukin, Rage, and Akira.

"We're still waiting on blondie," Rage announced. "So, how're you doin' today? Ready to go back and play DDR?"

You told him how you planned to bring a friend to the arcade. You weren't sure if Steve was much of a DDR player, but he would probably be occupied by any classic shooters he could find.

"Well, we'll have to force him to play DDR anyway," Rage joked.

The four of you killed time be talking about the past week; Rage talked about how the rain ruined his Wednesday's business, Akira reported how Yuni was recovering well and was back to her normal self in a day, and you told the others about playing DDR with Emi. Rage and Akira praised your effort. Zukin remained quiet, and no one questioned her.

The door clicked open and Yuni walked in, wearing an orange skirt and a black top. It resembled a school uniform.

"All right, I'm here," she said. "So what didja wanna talk about?"

"We wanted to ask you what you remembered about your kidnapping," Zukin replied. "Try your best to remember. Where were you and can you remember any sort of culprit?"

Yuni rubbed the back of her head. "Um... I was at the mall... and when I was alone, something just made me black out. Like, literally, everything went black, and I went unconscious until my Shadow started whipping me awake."

"Nobody saw you disappear?" Rage asked. "How alone were you?"

"I was in a really dark corner."

"How did you even know there _were_ dark corners in a mall?" Rage continued to ask.

"I uh... usually go there when Akira's looking for me. My friends were keeping people away so nobody would see me if he asked where I was."

"Yuni..." Akira mumbled, as if he was about to scold her. He tried to remain calm... but Rage's temper exploded.

"Why would you do that?" he shouted. "Didn't you think Akira and your friends were gonna worry about what happened to you? Even if you weren't in the TV, you could've got hurt if no one else was around!"

"I'm sorry, okay?" she yelled back. "Nothing like this has happened before!" You could hear a crack in her voice; she genuinely felt guilty. "I didn't know anything would happen."

"Don't apologize to me," Rage told her. "Akira's the guy that spent all day looking for you."

Unable to look in anyone's eyes, Yuni turned her body in Akira's direction while she stared at his feet. "I'm sorry, Akira. I didn't mean to make you go through all that trouble." She paused. "I make you go through this a lot, don't I?"

Akira shook his head. "If I really didn't like this job, I wouldn't be here now. Just promise you'll be more careful." He didn't seem like he was mad at all.

"Okay," she agreed. She tried to look at you, but she was still eying the floor. "And thank you, too, Souji. Without you, nobody would've found me."

You assured her it was no problem; you were happy that she was okay.

"We gotta get you in the TV for a bit to try our your Persona," Rage proposed.

"There's no rush," Zukin said. "No one is in there right now. Besides, Souji has a history of skipping Fridays at the arcade. We owe Emi a visit today."

"Fine, it can wait," Rage agreed. "Anyway, you should be getting back to get your friend."

You nodded, remembering Steve.

"Your friend is coming?" Yuni said. "Do you need a ride back?"

"Yuni," Akira began, "I'm not sure if it's wise to-"

"Oh come on, it's the least I could do. Everyone, come with me!"

Yuni raised her hand, indicating herself as the leader. She skipped into the hallway and everyone followed her. Confused, you did the same.

-.

"Whoa! You weren't kidding, you really did know her!"

Steve was surprised when Yuni showed up in your dorm room. She and Akira had come to meet your friends; Rage and Zukin were waiting outside. Apparently, Yuni thought it would be fun to drive around New York with a limousine that didn't fit on campus, so you had to walk quite a distance to get to your friends.

"Hey, Aaron, get out here! It's that hot girl you were talking about!"

"Hey shut up!" he screamed back, rushing out of his room to meet Yuni. He called Steve some English obscenity you weren't familiar with yet. He nervously came up to Yuni - which was weird, he was usually your loudest and most outgoing roommate.

"Heya, uh, Yuni," he greeted, awkwardly offering to shake her hand, to which she accepted. "Uh, don't listen to him," he motioned to Steve, "he's stupid. Not that you're not hot or, er, you're kinda uh... I swear I thought you were eighteen."

Yuni couldn't contain her laughter. She released his hand and covered her widely opened mouth as she giggled. "I'm flattered, really!" she tried to tell him. "Thank you. Are you the guy coming to the arcade?"

"Wait, what? That's why you're here?" Aaron asked, surprised. "You're taking Souji and that dork Steve to go play games? I wanna come!"

"Hey, don't go inviting yourself," Steve argued. "Souji said I could go."

"You can all fit in my limo," she offered. "We were gonna bring Souji back here, anyway, so it doesn't matter if you wanna come."

"Wait, we can't just leave Rob out," Steve said. "He's a total closet gamer." The boy ran to his room and began persuading the busy student to take a break.

"I gotta get some money, be right back," Aaron said before running into his room.

"Interesting friends you have," Yuni commented. "Taking you all out is the least I can do after putting you through all that stuff in the TV. But you guys better have fun, okay?" She winked after the last statement.

A niceness seemed to awaken in her. Seeing her Shadow must've motivated her to change, and you knew she was grateful for your help.

You felt as if she was the only one there as another social link formed between you two. You questioned if you even deserved it, but you were happy to know Yuni trusted you from then on.

-.

At the arcade, Aaron exited the limousine in awe.

"Did I really just ride that?" he asked. "With Yuni and those other guys? Souji, do you do this every week?"

You chuckled and told him this was probably gonna be the only time you got a ride like this. You, your roommates, and the DDR players stepped in the arcade. It seemed like every time you went into the Extreme arcade, it was like walking into another city of lights and sounds. From the amazed sounds Aaron and Steve mumbled, you could tell they felt the same way.

"This place is crazy!" Steve exclaimed. "You're gonna go play DDR, right? I'll meetcha over there, later, I'm gonna take a look around." He quickly ran off somewhere.

You and the others walked to the DDR machine in the back. Akira kept a watchful eye on Aaron, who seemed to be uncomfortable around the tall man. You noticed that Devil Zukin was examining the oddly quiet Robert, who was trying to ignore her. You wondered if you should ask her to stop staring so much. You assumed, though, if you could dance with Zukin, he would have a round to get to know your other DDR friends. After asking her to play DDR, she agreed.

"It is unlike you to request a partner," Zukin said, "but I'm glad you're becoming accustomed to playing DDR." She must not have known your intentions.

While you talked to her, Emi had already talked to Aaron and Robert, and she'd taken the liberty of introducing them to everybody without you. You wondered when your turn on the DDR machine would be, so you looked over and saw that Gus and Alice were playing.

"That's their last song," Zukin commented. "Shall we go next?"

You nodded and waited for your turn.

"I must admit," she began, "I don't practice this game enough to be an excellent player."

You told her not to worry at all; you had a _long_ way to go to get to anyone's level. Being indifferent to a majority of the song list, you handed the responsibility of choosing music to Zukin. You took the right side of the machine while Zukin took the left.

She selected Wild Rush for the first course. You noticed she played on Difficult and without any modifications. The song began at a moderate speed that you could easily keep up with, but you noticed that the speed seemed to increase as the song progressed. The song was tricky... almost like the girl you were playing against. You still felt trapped in the middle of the pad at times, but you finished the song with a B, while Zukin managed to get an A.

Her second song was era (nostalmix), another song with lowercase letters. The song was definitely fast, but the arrows on Basic were merciful for you. As you paid attention to the arrows, you listened closely to the song. It sounded like some sort of mysterious void, or another world. You wondered if one day you could learn about others by their song choices, much like they seemed to learn more about you.

After you got another B and she received another A, Zukin concluded the round with .59. She set her level to Expert.

"It's the only song I can pass on Expert," she confessed to you.

As the first notes of the piano played, you sensed something odd. You looked to Zukin out of the corner of your eye and she had closed her eyes for the beginning. You stepped on the first arrow and glanced back, noting that she had opened her red eyes again. Something about the intro caused her to focus intently. Her rhythm sounded perfect to you, so perfect that you you couldn't help but listen to her steps over your own. Her footsteps weren't as loud as others' steps usually were; she seemed to gently tap the arrows and hit them at the right times.

You got your third B in a row, but the bat girl managed to get an AA on the song.

You were about to congratulate her, but she studied the score with her arms crossed.

"It isn't my record," she said, "but it'll do for now." You followed her off the machine.

"That is my favorite song," she told you. "I can't describe it, but it feels like I can connect to the melody."

It was a mysterious song, vaguely like era. You wondered what her "connection" said about her.

"Oh, it seems your friend is playing."

Zukin alerted you to Robert's match with Zero. Did he even play DDR? You assumed the others would be interested, so you glanced around the room in search of your other wandering roommates. You ran off a short distance to find Steve playing a shooter game, and Aaron was behind him with a bottled soda. You told Aaron that Robert was about to play DDR, if he was interested.

"Whoa, the guy's got guts; I wouldn't do that in front of your friends. Hey Steve, let's cheer the guy on." He yanked on the gamer's shoulder, but Steve protested.

"I just paid for a continue," he argued, "I'll meetcha over there when I'm done."

Aaron shrugged, and you led him back to the DDR X machine.

You were shocked... in a good way.

Zero and Robert were apparently both on Expert, as they both had the same arrows. Robert's rhythm was all right, but the thing you noticed was he didn't seem to be very tired from the song. Zero didn't tire either, but it was something you expected of him.

You never really watched Zero's DDR skills closely, but you noticed that when he played a song that didn't leave him exhausted, he used subtle arm movements and moved more of his body than just his legs. He was different from Rage, who gripped the bar for dear life and pushed his stamina to the limits. He was also different from Emi, who jumped around the mat in a carefree way. Zero was somewhere in the middle of both. He looked as if he was having fun showing off, in his own... stoic way.

You diverted your attention to Robert, but the song was already over. He seemed to let Zero choose the song while he rested his body on the bar behind him. Zero chose a song whose title was masked from your perspective. He looked at Robert for approval before the song started.

Then you were able to watch Robert. He didn't move around as much as Zero; rather, he was more like Rage. He played for skill and precision. Unlike Rage, Robert seemed to be full of stamina. He remained upright for most of the song, leaning forward to focus on trickier steps. Though this was the second song, you were still amazed by Robert's skills. Perhaps he was a closet gamer after all. But for DDR...? It was a hard thing to hide... you wondered why you never learned this before.

After the mystery song ended (they both received a pair of A's), you saw Robert suggest something to Zero. The silver haired man nodded and played with his bangs. He removed his fur coat (was he actually getting tired?) while Robert scrolled through the song list. You moved to get a better look at the screen; he chose Random as his choice. Was that a song or did it literally choose a random song...?

You remained in your position and saw the title "Paranoia Hades" on the screen. You thought Paranoia sounded familiar; it was a song with multiple versions that you usually saw Rage and Gus choose. You had never seen Hades before, so you watched them play.

The song appeared to have a unique video. If you stared into the center of the background video, it looked like you were traveling into a red void. Eye shapes and circles pulsed outward and inward; you could see three dimensional shapes try to manifest in the middle.

You were a little surprised as a screaming face appeared. It continued to appear and disappear. You wanted to avert your eyes to see who was winning, but you found it hard to look away from the eerie screen. As the face faded into the background, you looked back at both of the dancers.

Both Robert and Zero were grasping onto the bar; Robert held it with his right hand while Zero was using both of his. The latter was getting exhausted midway through the song, whereas Robert's primary sign of fatigue was just the fact that he needed the bar.

Zero's height had slowly lowered as the song progressed; he was unable to stand as tall as he usually did until a break in the arrows. The arrows slowed down, and there weren't as many as in the beginning. By that point, Robert had held onto the bar with both hands. He was perfecting the remainder of the song while Zero struggled to rebuild his life bar on the screen.

When the song finished with freeze arrows, Zero and Robert stood upright, despite how tired they must've been. Your roommate got an A and the other man got a C.

You could've learned a lot from Robert. Why didn't he tell you he was so good at DDR every time you mentioned it to him? He left the tired Zero on the stage. Knowing the pretty boy would be fine, you went to praise Robert on his skills.

"It's been a while since I've played DDR," he said. "But I guess I'm not bad at it."

"You were amazing!" Aaron exclaimed.

You noticed Steve had finally arrived, probably some time during the last song. "I told you guys, he's actually really good. He's just too much of a school nerd to keep playing."

Robert shrugged it off. "I've got a lot of other things to do. I can't keep playing games all the time. But I admit it was nice getting back on stage. I probably needed a workout."

The boys conversed while you looked around to where Zero went. He sat on a chair next to the other DDR dancers. Emi and Alice were going up to the machine.

Most of your friends were around Zero, but Zukin was no where to be found. She was still at the arcade, wasn't she?

You told your roommates that you were looking for your other friend. You searched the arcade, occasionally checking to see if she had returned to the DDR machine. You didn't see her until you stepped outside in the cool autumn air. She was sitting on the concrete just outside the door. You asked her why she was out there.

She blankly stared forward, initially unaffected by your voice. "I'm sorry if I worried you," she responded. "I... can't stand that song. It may seem silly to you, but I became afraid of the video. I had a nightmare after seeing it..." she shook her head. "No, with or without the game, I often dream of what would happen if I became a demon. After that image of the being trying to make its way out of the void, I felt like I could see the dark side of me fighting its way out of me. I was once nothing but a dark side... I don't want to go back to that."

You assured her that she could already face her other side. It was okay to be a little afraid of the video; honestly, it creeped you out, even if only a little.

"Thank you for understanding. Let's go back."

You looked into her soft red eyes after she opened up her fears, and you felt the bond between you and Zukin become stronger. You couldn't relate to being a devil inside, but your sympathy decreased the gap between you two.

You walked her back to the DDR X machine. For the rest of the night, your roommates challenged the dancers to other arcade games and talked to each other. It was interesting to see your new friends unite and get along so well. You stayed until you lost track of time...

* * *

(I write a lot of non-canon things about Devil Zukin because imo, she was the most interesting Zukin and then she got scrapped after 4th mix. Rinon's like a robotic childlike reincarnation, yet... not the same at all. But anyway, I write a lotta Devil because there's a lot a person can do with her in a story. Plus, this is from Souji's perspective. I can't write about how beautiful Zero is and this is the next best thing. xP)


	23. Chapter 23

(This chapter cuts off because putting it with the next one is just too much for me to post; if I post the whole thing before it's done, then the chapters become forced and not proofread as well, which is why I'm going this slow. This Shadow and the next had a psycho amount of rewrites.)

* * *

While you worked on Saturday, you wondered if you should try talking to Zero more often. After all, on your lunch break, you found it hard to talk to several busy people who were older than you.

But it seemed that whenever you tried to say something, Zero would say...

"I'm busy."

For all you knew, he probably was. You didn't want to bother him, so you figured you would make more of an effort when he wasn't busy; the only time you could think of was at the arcade.

Besides, he wasn't one you could discuss the Midnight Channel with. You knew it was going to rain the next day and that there was a chance that someone could appear. There were several things you wanted to talk about, but you were stuck at your job for that day, at least until evening...

Your long shift usually left you too tired to do anything besides stay at your dorm. Your friends were still on the high from Friday.

"I can't believe you and Rob never go play DDR," Steve exclaimed. "I guess it's just 'cause he's a school nerd."

"That's why my grades are higher than yours," Robert stated teasingly.

"Yeah, well, as long as I'm beating Aaron, I don't care. That guy only passes his classes on like the last week of the semester."

"High standards you have."

"Psh, your standards are way too high. Everything you do, you gotta go and be good at it. Don't you ever relax and have fun?"

Robert shrugged. "Sometimes. Talking to you right now is my way of relaxing. Playing games is also my way of taking a break. I don't do it all the time, but that's because I don't need to."

Steve sighed. "I guess it's none of my business, anyway." He sat on the couch in the main room and watched something on TV.

"Since you mentioned him," Robert started, "where _is_ Aaron?"

"Well, there was some party that was supposed to be tomorrow night, but it was changed to tonight cause of the rain tomorrow."

Robert shook his head. "That guy..."

-.

Besides the rain in the evening, nothing particularly interesting happened Sunday. Monday afternoon, you were in class with Emi.

_Pipipipipi..._

Your phone went off during the lecture!

Quickly, you scrambled to shut it off. The teacher was generous and ignored you completely; you made a mental note to apologize to him afterward. You noticed that the call had been from Rage before you turned off the sound, so you decided to call him after class. When did he get your number, anyway...?

_Friday night, you were conversing with Emi about the class you two shared. You asked when she would be available to study with you for an upcoming test._

_"Oh, I don't know yet," she said. "Why don't you give me your number? I'll call you when I know more about what's going on in the week."_

_"Hey, let me have his number!" Rage exclaimed from behind. Seeing no harm, you finally gave your cell number to both of them._

You briefly regret giving it to Rage.

-.

"Hello? Hey, where were you earlier?"

Though he couldn't see you, you frowned, and you told him you were in class.

"Oh, haa, 'cause... you're in Emi's class... that's right." His speech slowed when he realized his error. "Well, I called you 'cause we saw er... well, we got stuff we gotta tell you. Come over to Yuni's today, okay? Everybody's gonna meet up after 6:30 and I'll be over there and catch up after I close down my stand. You guys can all talk about what happened and I'll catch up when I get there. That cool?"

You told him you'd be there, and you asked him to let Yuni and the others know.

You finished your rather long classes...

-.

"Good evening, Souji."

Devil Zukin greeted you at the door of the TV room. Yuni and Akira were waiting in the room as well.

"I'd like to tell you something before I speak of the Midnight Channel's show," she began. "We did an experiment last night. Knowing that the harsh rain would likely trigger the channel, each of us watched a different television."

"I didn't see anything from the TV in my bedroom," Akira commented.

"But I did," Yuni stated. "And uh... it was kinda creepy."

"This proves that some televisions are unable to show the Midnight Channel," Zukin continued. "The problem is knowing what the difference is between the televisions. I watched the one in this room and, as usual, the channel aired. Rage-sama said he was able to see it like he did before. I don't see a link to indicate which TVs can and can't show the Midnight Channel. The shapes and sizes of the televisions vary too greatly to determine anything, all four of the ones we watched have cable, and no television was left on."

It was smart to do that experiment, but it didn't seem to help you much. You could assume that it wasn't just you who couldn't see the Midnight Channel. However, you had no idea who else could see it; perhaps people who weren't meant to watch the channel were able to see the other sides of the dancers.

But who? You remembered you could occasionally hear an audience in the background of some channels when in Inaba, but you never heard one when you were inside these dungeons. Maybe the audience, if any, was very small for these shows? You spoke your thoughts aloud and gave the others more possibilities and ideas to ponder.

"Well, I guess if anyone saw mine, they would've just passed it off as another show I acted in," Yuni started.

"Your 'character' used your real name," Zukin argued. "I would think spectators may have suspected it was you. As for Rage-sama and Emi's friend, the two of them lack the fame to gain a wide audience. We know from experience that Rage-sama had no audience. We would've never known if Emi's friend had spectators because we were never inside the television to save her..." Her tone drifted.

"While I'm sorry she had to suffer like that, it's a matter of the past," Akira stated. "Let's focus on who we can still rescue."

Zukin nodded. "Before we discuss the channel itself, I think we should wait for-"

"I'm here!"

You all turned your heads to Rage, standing in the doorway.

"What'd I miss?"

"Rage-sama," Zukin started, looking at the clock, "don't you close your stand at 7:00?" It was apparently 6:40.

"Yeah, ugly weather, slow day. I can just work when Souji's working. I'd rather go in the TV than stand in the cold waiting for someone to notice my takoyaki."

Zukin sighed. "Well, at least you're here."

"I know Rage and I saw the channel," Yuni began, "but Zukin, why don't you tell everybody what was on?"

"Very well. I couldn't see the person, but I have my suspicions..."

_A person in a dark robe (male, judging by body structure) came out of a small, old looking building. His face was hidden beneath a shadow from the hood of his cloak; one couldn't tell if he was looking at the screen when he spoke._

_"Human life consists of many kinds of experiences," he started. "Yet pain is inevitable. Pains that will leave your body, your mind, and your heart weary. So long, I have been searching for a way to help others with their hardships, trying to find a way to cure someone for good._

_"I know now what it takes to rid one of suffering. I will save everyone who follows me." He turned around and walked into the building again; the show faded to black and ended._

"I believe it sounded like Zero," Devil Zukin commented.

You and Akira were shocked, having heard this for the first time. But if no one could see him... was it enough to rely on the sound of his voice to determine who it was? You pulled out your phone and tried calling him; there was no answer.

"So Zero got kidnapped?" Rage asked. "I would've thought that, too... but we just saw him on Friday! How did we miss this?"

"We will find out how he was captured when we save him," Zukin replied.

"All right, so when do we go in?" Yuni declared. "I wanna fight some bad guys!"

"It's dangerous," Akira warned. "And you haven't practiced. Do you think you're ready?"

"Yeah. Besides, Rage and Zukin already got me a weapon."

"What?" Akira almost yelled. He glared at Rage.

"Hey, she was too young to get a weapon," he argued, "so I had to go and get one for her. But I needed a girl to help pick out something, and Zukin's an expert at smuggling things to your mansion 'cause she can fly over all the police in the city who would question her, so she was perfect. It's not my fault you didn't take her to get something on your own."

The tall man sighed. "What did you get her, anyway?" he asked in a defeated tone.

Zukin found the end table (the same one that nearly met its end when Rage used it as a weapon) and grabbed a pair of gloves from the drawer. She also pulled out a pair of glasses.

"These gloves not only offer protection, but there are sharp edges that can be used offensively. Use these wisely." Zukin's mitten-covered hands slipped the gloves onto Yuni's delicate fingers. There were spikes on her knuckles; you were afraid to find out how sharp they were.

"Take these as well," Zukin continued, handing Yuni her custom pair of glasses. "You will need them to see in the other world."

There was only one thing holding you all back. It came to your realization that you needed someone to understand Zero so Ouze could find him

"That's right," Akira remembered.

"What? Really?" Yuni complained. "But he doesn't talk to anybody!" Yuni placed a hand on her chin. "Although... if none of _us_ know him, we could ask some other people..."

"I have talked to Zero enough to know him myself," Zukin suggested quickly after Yuni finished her sentence. "I should be able to find him based on what I know. We should go in and look before we involve anyone else."

You asked if everyone was ready to enter. After getting your team's approval, you dove into the TV screen...

-.

You tumbled across the floor, and Rage, Zukin, Akira, and Yuni came in behind you in that order. After Zukin stood, you asked her to look for Zero.

Ouze was summoned and placed her hands on Zukin's head. The bat girl mentally closed herself off to the others and listened to her Persona. You noticed that Yuni (after repeatedly taking her glasses on and off to see the difference) was amazed at seeing Zukin's Persona for the first time.

"How did she do that?" Yuni said. "Get that girl to come out? That's her Persona, right?"

"You just hafta go with your gut instinct," Rage said. "I didn't know what I was doing at first, but when you need your Persona, he'll come out if you want him to."

"_She'll _come out."

"You know what I mean," he grumbled.

"He's here," Zukin muttered. As Ouze faded, Zukin opened her eyes slowly. She began to run in a direction to her right; you and the others followed her.

* * *

(The TV world just got lovelier and more emo at the same time.)


	24. Chapter 24

(I rewrote so much script so many times and it's_ still _probably out of character.)

* * *

The old building Zukin had described turned out to be some sort of... church? It showed no signs of any religion, but it was elegant looking and well-kept with stained-glass windows. Yet the gray sky and dismal environment around you had some sort of morbid aura about it.

"What is this?" Rage asked. "Doesn't look like anywhere Zero would wanna go."

"It's a place he imagined," Zukin commented. "Perhaps we will understand more when we go inside."

"Honestly," Yuni mumbled, "this place really creeps me out."

"You scared, blondie?" Rage teased.

Yuni fumed. "No! I'll prove it, lemme go in!" She stomped in front of everyone and made her way to the double door entrance. She stood there for a moment before she gingerly touched the door and slowly cracked it open. As the rest of you walked to her side, she opened the door wider. Wanting to protect your team, you pushed your way into the lead.

Inside, the room was dimly lit by candles. There were old chairs neatly arranged in rows and columns, but no one occupied any of them. The room was quiet and tranquil; your group's footsteps echoed as you all softly paced the wooden floor.

"I still don't get where we are," Rage whispered.

"Why are you whispering?" Yuni asked back, softly.

"I don't know, why are _you_ whispering?"

"Because _you_ were!"

"Since when do you do what I do?"

Their voices rose, and the two bickered back and forth at normal volume. Akira came in to break them up but he was stopped by a voice.

"Who's there?"

It was Zero, echoing throughout the room. Everyone cowered a little and stared at the ceiling as if to look for the sound's source.

"Are you here rid your lives of suffering?"

"… what?" Rage asked back, confused.

"That's why you're here, isn't it? To find an answer?"

"What if I said yes?"

"If you can find me, you can find your answer."

"You're a lot of help," he muttered.

"It didn't hurt to ask," Zukin commended.

Not knowing what else to do in this room, you instructed your party to follow you. You noticed that the chairs were divided in the center, so you walked down the empty aisle to find a door at the end. It led to a staircase that you ascended.

The next story of the building was a familiar dungeon-like layout, still lit by candlelight with a few lights above you. You instructed everyone to stay close, not wanting your teammates to get lost in the dim rooms. You listened to the several footsteps behind you to keep track of your party members.

You were in a hurry, so despite having limited visibility, you ran down the hallways of the maze, and you got to the end with the strategy of opening the first door you saw. Upon running into dead ends, you would occasionally hear people running into each other; your line was usually Akira, Rage, Yuni, and then Devil Zukin in that order, but their speeds varied and created a few problems.

"Stop that!" Rage yelled.

"I only ran into you once, Rage-sama," Zukin replied.

"Sorry, I meant to yell at Yuni."

Yuni growled.

The second floor seemed to be absent of monsters, but the third floor had a suspiciously vacant room. Your search was interrupted by Zero's voice.

"Are you afraid of this place?"

Your group stopped.

"We're not afraid of anything!" Rage shouted.

_Clang!_

You heard doors open in the shadows that surrounded you. From those dark voids, you noticed there were knives and groups of needles floating in your direction.

"Are you afraid now?"

You were definitely a little intimidated. You looked back at your team; each member showed a taste of fear through their expressions, but no one dared to reply to the question. You encouraged them and told each of them to prepare to fight.

"Right! Benkei!"

"Lu-yan!"

"_Loki!_"

"Um... Tsutomu!"

You did not want to risk Norn's wind power of blowing the knives at anyone, so you chose Loki to freeze the seemingly haunted weapons in place. You noticed that there were disappearing and reappearing shadows to wield the sharp objects.

"You cannot harm the shadow beings that wield the weapons," Zukin said, "their powers are in the tools they possess."

You left Loki alone for a moment to fend off a few small Shadows with ice powers; as he did so, you Rage and Benkei mercilessly take on the weapons with physical attacks. Akira used Lu-yan's distant Electric moves to destroy the weapons and make use of their conductivity.

Yuni and Tsutomu were confused. You asked her to focus on her Persona's thoughts; somewhere in Yuni's soul was Tsutomu's soul itself, and she would have to find it. She awkwardly looked at the ground for a second, but she tried to regain her cool attitude. You turned your attention back to your own enemies and used light Mabufu skills to damage the frail weapons.

"Mamudo!"

_Whoosh!_

Several weapons and their owners faded away instantly. It seemed Yuni and Tsutomu were able to use dark instant kill moves. This was quite useful for swarms of enemies like this; you complimented her move.

"Thanks!" she said with a cocky tone. Tsutomu was an agile Persona that hid well in the darkness, and she took on enemies physically when they didn't die of Mudo. You and the others brutally and quickly wiped out the rest of the army; the monsters seemed to populate the entire floor, so the battles continued until you found the next staircase.

"If you join me, you don't need to be afraid."

There was Zero again. His tone wasn't as cold and distant as it was outside the television; his Shadow was deceivingly gentle and sounded as if he was trying to calm you.

"Some mouth you've got, you tried to kill us back there!" Rage complained.

"I can save you."

A reference to his role at the hospital, perhaps? Or was his Shadow trying to make himself out to be a savior? You pondered that as you continued through the hallways and dark rooms.

On the fourth story, a Shadow grasped onto your ankle and yanked you onto the ground. Akira shot it with his gun (it scared you a bit, but you were grateful he could see well in the dark or he may have hit you). Once it let go of you, you slashed it with your sword. The weak Shadow faded away after one hit.

"Be careful," Zukin noted. "There are many more of those around here."

Upon closer observation, the Shadows were dismantled looking creatures, some of which possessed weapons. But Yuni and her ninja-like Persona walked alongside you to end them quickly; sometimes you allowed Tsutomu to lead and instantly kill some of the hard-to-see monsters.

"Yes, that is exactly what I want..." Zero's voice echoed.

You were confused, but you kept going through the halls.

"Ah!"

Zukin, still in the back of your group, yelled for help. A small group of monsters struggling to stand had struck her from behind. Rage bashed through them with his shield, and when Zukin recovered, she was able to kick them into pieces.

You noticed something interesting about the Shadows: the ones in the beginning were tall, but as you progressed, the Shadows lost the ability to walk. Some were missing an arm or a leg; toward the end, they could only move by pulling themselves forward with one arm.

"I want people to stop suffering... I want their pain to end..."

The voice was beginning to lose its calm demeanor. You were worried that the Shadow would soon lash out at Zero, wherever he was. You picked up your pace, but you noticed Yuni lagging behind you. You realized that her usage of Mudo spells must've drained her spirit power. You considered asking her to switch with Rage, but in all honesty, Rage was too reckless to be a leader here. Instead, you stopped running and asked her to switch with Akira.

"Huh? You don't want me in the lead?" she argued. "C'mon, I can do it; I still owe you guys for saving me."

"You've done enough," Akira said. "Besides, we're all in debt to Souji for saving us. Allow me to help lead." He reloaded his gun and kept it to his side while Yuni headed to the middle of the group with Rage. Yuni's Persona resided in her soul for the time being; Akira chose to arm himself with nothing more than his gun. The two of you proceeded to go through the hallways.

"Rage-sama!"

_Thud!_

Everyone turned around to see a mage behind your group. Rage was on the floor, seemingly knocked out. You didn't see any injury, nor did you sense an elemental attack; it must've been an instant kill move.

Devil Zukin tried to kick the mage, but it blocked her attack. You knew Physical attacks weren't going to work, so you told everyone to back up.

"Zionga!"

Akira already prepared his Persona, and when everyone cleared a path, Lu-yan was able to strike the mage with an electric attack. It trembled a bit, and you used its temporary paralysis to freeze it with Loki's powerful ice spells. With some effort, it faded away.

"Is it safe to assume there are more around here?" the tall man asked. You sighed, knowing he was probably right. For that reason, Akira's Persona remained in physical form with the rest of your group.

You summoned Ishtar to revive Rage with Samarecarm. He gained his strength back immediately, but he took his time to get up from the floor.

"Whoa, what just happened?" he said. "I was doing fine until I blacked out..."

You told him he was attacked, and warned everyone that those attacks could be fatal. You realized that you were the only one with a healing Persona; the thought of you being hit with an instant kill attack made you uneasy.

_Zzzt!_

You heard another harsh lightning move; Akira must've caught another mage.

"We should hurry," he encouraged.

You asked Rage if he could use his Persona to watch for more surprise attacks from the back. He agreed, and Benkei followed your team.

You sped up another staircase and opened a door at the top. Another voice echoed...

"You don't look anything like a surgeon! You look more like a... a... I don't know."

"A murderer, perhaps? I can't help but think I would be better suited for it..."

The second voice was definitely Zero... but the first...? The first sounded far too familiar...

You noticed you and your teammates were glaring at Rage, who looked nervous.

"I was just teasing him!" he protested. "And he didn't say that when I was talking to him!"

"He was probably thinking it," Yuni said bitterly. "He was down about being a doctor, and you made him feel worse. Way to go, Rage."

"I-I didn't know he was down or anything! Really, he doesn't say stuff like that."

"You can apologize when we see him," Zukin advised. "Let's continue."

You dashed through the hallways; the crawling monsters seemed to have disappeared, but the mages were growing in numbers. Benkei's fire attacks nearly burned your team a number of times, whereas Lu-yan's accuracy was much better, despite having wild sparks flying whenever he used a Zio attack. You, Yuni, and Zukin saved your energy while you kept looking for the staircase to the top. You asked Zukin if she could sense Zero anywhere.

"He is definitely upstairs somewhere," she responded. "Perhaps two floors away."

You nodded. You wanted to help Akira, so you summoned Loki to assist again. He was able to block dark attacks, so you knew you would be safe from any instant kills.

You marched up the next floor, unlocking another piece of Zero's thoughts.

"The procedure would only spare her life for a month at best... she cannot even leave the hospital. Nothing I can do will keep her alive for long... I can't keep anyone alive forever..."

You weren't given any time to discuss what you heard; more enemies were headed your way. You kept moving forward as you and Akira plowed through the Mudo-casting mages with Zio and Bufu.

"Uh, guys? We got a problem back here!"

Rage sounded like he was having difficulty with an enemy. The mage was white and, from what it seemed, it blocked Benkei's fire moves. The white cloaked Shadow was able to cast Blue Wall on the dark mages; you remembered immediately that the spell increased their electricity defense, and Akira would no longer be of any use in beating them. The most logical solution would be to tell Akira and Rage to switch roles.

"Got it," Rage replied. He came to lead while Akira took on the white mage in the back. The black mages were just as weak to fire as they previously were to lightning. You found it difficult to work in any ice moves with Rage's massive amounts of fire, so you brought out Norn. The Persona's wind attacks amplified Rage's fire (albeit the infernos were becoming dangerously large). You heard Akira firing more gunshots; it seemed the white mages couldn't resist physical attacks. Yuni must've noticed, for she brought out Tsutomu to beat up any Shadows when Akira needed help.

Your team rushed faster, slowly depleting in spirit power and stamina, until you reached the final staircase. The last hall led to what seemed to be the last door, as indicated by the portal to the side.

"He is there," Zukin commented. "Are we ready?"

"We gotta," Rage said in between breaths, "get him out of here."

"Rage is right," Yuni agreed. "He was always so big headed and stuck up. I... didn't know he always doubted himself this much."

"That is only part of it," Zukin argued. "If he was completely against his work, he would no longer be a surgeon. There is more to it... the rest is behind that door."

But you couldn't take on the Shadow. Rage and Akira's strength had been falling since Yuni's power had nearly run out. Going past that door would put all of you in danger. For that reason, you told them they you'd need to come back on Wednesday.

"Why so late?" Rage protested.

"You work tomorrow, don't you, Souji?" Zukin said.

You confirmed it, a little disturbed that she knew your schedule without you telling her.

"And Rage-sama, you need to work as well."

You couldn't force everyone to come in each day, or you would all be exhausted. Everyone had things they could take care of on Tuesday. Zukin, you weren't so sure about, but she deserved a break, nonetheless.

"You're the boss," Yuni said in defeat. "Let's all go home, I guess."

You found the glowing portal to your right and instructed everyone to leave through it as well...

* * *

(Rage and Yuni are fun to write. They need to argue more often. :P)


	25. Chapter 25

(I have a cruel love for Zero; he was the one person I wanted to see snap. xP)

* * *

Your shift at the hospital kept you from rescuing Zero. You knew it wasn't supposed to rain for a while and that he would be fine, however. Working at the hospital was less tiresome than hours in the television, so you hoped to use this day to rest up a bit. You eased your mind and focused on your job.

At least until about an hour before you were off.

"Souji? Can I ask you a question?"

Alice had apparently shown up while you were working. Happy to see her there, you told her to ask away.

"Um... have you seen Zero today?"

Why would she want to see Zero? Did he know something about a patient? If that was the case, you knew Alice of all people wouldn't want to ask someone she didn't know for help; that's why she came to you and not a stranger at the hospital, after all.

Rather than jump to any more conclusions as to why she was there, you flat out asked her why she needed him.

"I was just, um, here to visit," she muttered.

You obviously couldn't tell her he was in the television (let alone that you left him there), so you tried to explain that you hadn't seen him all day. You convinced her that he wasn't at the hospital at all. But if there was anything _you_ could help her with...

"Oh, no, that's okay," she said. "It's nothing big."

You could sense that she wasn't going to tell you any more than that. Still, you thought it was refreshing to see someone you knew at work, considering Zero wasn't there. You went as far as thanking her for talking to you.

She laughed a little. "Um, please don't tell anybody I was here, okay?"

You agreed. You didn't know why it was a secret, but it was a secret and you would respect that, despite your curiosity...

-.

You had a gap between your classes on Wednesday. Your anxiety had only risen since the previous day, and wanted to stop and get something to eat. You didn't frequent the lunch room due to how much everything else cost, but you went there anyway on that day and found a small variety of restaurants; from them, you chose to buy a hot dog, as it was one of the cheapest things available.

Though the packed tables in the dining area, you noticed that Emi sat alone at one of them, working on homework while eating some sort of sandwich. Why would she, of all people, be alone? You went to her table and asked if you could sit there.

"Oh, of course you can, Souji!" she said with delight.

Still, you weren't sure if she was all right. You started lightening the mood by telling her you were relieved to see her in a sea of people you didn't know.

"I know whatcha mean," she replied. "I've only been at this school as long as you. It's almost hard to talk to people when you don't know if you have anything in common. That's why I'm glad you came to the arcade with me." She smiled.

You joked about how your DDR skills had much room for improvement, and you assured her you liked going to the arcade.

"Yeah, hey, who was that guy you brought?" she asked. "That dark haired guy who was playing against Zero. Why doesn't he ever come to the arcade?"

The main reason was probably that he was serious about his studies, but you weren't sure why he didn't play in his free time. Maybe he was too good at the game?

"I see." She said. "He's a smart guy, isn't he? Then I guess he's the same guy that um... that tutored a friend of mine." She spoke rather quietly; you knew which friend she was referring to.

Would you prod any further or dodge the subject? It was hard to choose. You told her if she wanted to say anything, she could.

"Well, it's just that... she used to come eat lunch with me every Monday and Wednesday. I tried to kind of forget about it, but then that Robert guy..." She shook her head. "But if he likes DDR, don't tell him to stop! I mean, if we were all friends, maybe he could come eat lunch with us, too. And your other friends who were at the arcade. We could all probably get along and hang out."

It was worth a try, you told her. You were just happy to see her try to cheer up a bit. You began to munch on your slowly cooling hot dog.

"Thanks a lot for listening to me, Souji," she said.

Mid-bite, you noticed the link between you and Emi grow stronger. You were glad the two of you became closer.

Though it was awkward for time to freeze while you had that hot dog in your mouth. Unsure of how long you had actually been holding that hot dog, you quickly chomped on the food when you were able to move again.

Emi laughed. "You were hungry, weren't you?"

You smiled awkwardly. The two of you conversed for a few more minutes until you left for your last class.

-.

Once through the television again, you warped back to the hallway you last saw. It was as dark as it was when you left. You slowly cracked open the door...

"Which is more desirable, to live a life of pain, or not to live at all?"

The Shadow was lecturing Zero, who was seated in a chair. He leaned back with his arms crossed, as if he was a rebel student. Like the first floor, this room was filled with several empty chairs (besides the one Zero occupied). The Shadow, dressed in the dark cloak with the hood that shadowed his face, was lecturing at the front.

"You make it sound so cynical," the real Zero said.

"But you see what the problem is," the Shadow said. "People live only to resent pain, to dodge hardships, to survive. Surely, you believe the same thing. Will you become a follower of my organization?"

"I'll pass," Zero replied.

"Then... would you prefer being the leader?"

"What?" His voice was threatening.

"You know as well as I that humans live in fear of death," his Shadow said calmly. "You live in fear of the death of others. You hate to see people desperately cling to life only to lose it. That is why," he held a cup of questionable liquid, "you could lead them into a blissful death."

"I won't."

"Why?"

"Because," he started, pausing to think of an answer, "people must choose whether they want to live or not. I can't choose for them."

"You would choose death if it was up to you, wouldn't you?" His voice began to hiss a bit. "You don't want people to suffer. When you see hopeless patients slowly losing themselves, you want their misery to be over. You want them to die faster."

Zero stood from his chair and walked to his Shadow. "You're full of nonsense."

"You have to understand me," he said, meeting Zero in the middle of the room. "You and I are exactly the same."

"There is nothing we have in common."

Once they stood face to face, the clone lifted his hood, revealing a head that looked almost exactly like Zero's, save for the trademark glowing yellow eyes that Shadow copies possessed. The original gasped and stepped back in surprise.

"That's... impossible!"

"Are you surprised to see someone as unique as you standing before you?" The Shadow asked. "You know that no one is like you in this city; the only explanation is that we are the same."

"We _can't_ be the same."

"Then how do I know what you're thinking? What you're thinking when you look into the suffering eyes of patients and tear-stained faces of friends who beg for their loved one to come back? Don't you want the pain to be over? Don't you want _your _pain to be over?"

"Stop talking," he shakily commanded. "You don't know what I'm thinking; you're wrong!"

The Shadow swiftly gripped his neck and forced his mouth open to gasp for air. He held the cup of liquid above Zero's mouth. "Join me," the Shadow ordered, "join yourself... or die!"

As he poured red liquid in Zero's mouth, the man choked and coughed it onto his Shadow; out of surprise and disgust, he released Zero, who fell onto the ground. The real Zero supported himself on his hands and knees, continuing to cough for a few seconds. He stood back up before shouting a protest. "You're not me!"

The Shadow dropped the glass and let it shatter on the floor. The Shadow began to laugh lowly; his laughter gradually became more and more insane as he transformed into a monster beneath a strong, dense aura. You saw Zero pass out before the Shadow, which is when your team rushed to his side. Zukin quickly carried him to the back of the room.

The monster uncurled into a scaly ghostlike creature with tattered dark skin. The cloak he possessed was draped behind his back like a cape; beneath it, his Shadow wore a lower garment that resembled half of a robe. His messy hair was as dark as his skin and equally blotchy in color. His hands were transparent to you; rather, his arms extended and faded toward the ends. His mouth remained open in a crooked, painful position.

"By staying alive," he told your team in an unsteady voice, "you're only being put in danger."

"We're here to save Zero!" Yuni shouted. "We're not gonna run away!

"You won't be able to leave," he threatened, "I'll kill you all here."

Each of your teammates began to summon their Personas. You looked at Zukin, who already had Ouze with her.

"I cannot sense any weaknesses or strengths," she said. "You will have to try everything."

Your teammates were armed with Personas having fire, physical, and electric attacks (taking into consideration that a person's Shadow was immune to Tsutomu's dark attacks). You thought that they possessed enough offensive attacks, so you summoned a Persona to support them.

"Ishtar!"

You made sure to constantly restore the stamina of your team members. Salvation was a costly move, even with Ishtar's spirit power conservation, so you were ready to overuse Mediarahan whenever needed. On the sidelines, you guided your teammates to unite their powers.

Working in Tsutomu's physical moves was a challenge; Rage had some addiction to burning fire moves and, had it not been for the female Persona's stealth, she could've been charred many times. You instructed the two men to collaborate in using physical moves rather than elemental attacks.

Shadow Zero hadn't done much offensively, but he was able to move quickly and dodge many moves (Benkei had been unable to land any punches; it seemed he was as impulsive as Rage). When he was hit, he would hide beneath his cloak for protection. After brushing the light Tsutomu away with a wave of his long arm, his swung his arms to the ground and two scythes extended from his wrists.

Close combat was out of the question... you shouted and told your allies to get away!

It seemed like Yuni was done for at that point; you had to rely on Rage and Akira's elemental powers. Knowing that Yuni and Tsutomu were safe if they stayed back, you brought out Norn to assist Benkei's fire as before.

You ran to Rage's side and instructed him to ration his strength and use small fire spells while you would use large wind spells. He grinned and eagerly used Agi and blew a huge wave of fire at Shadow Zero with the help of your Persona's windy Garudyne. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Akira run out of the way. Rage looked guilty.

"Sorry!" he yelled. Akira gave him a jokingly angry look and continued to use Lu-Yan's Zionga.

Shadow Zero looked weak, but fiercely slashed all six of you in a huge swing of his bladed right arm; all your three of your teammates and each of your Personas took a hit. Everyone yelled in pain before hitting the ground.

Before even knowing how your teammates took the hit, you knew you had to bring back your healer. You glanced and saw that they were unconscious, and their Personas were gone; you had to use Samarecarm to revive both of them. Once they were were healed, Shadow Zero saw your movement and began to swing at you, so you switched to Norn again to blow him away with Garudyne. He struggled to brave the wind, and Akira took this opportunity to electrocute him.

Rage rose slowly and asked you if you'd like to aid him again. You repeated the merged Garudyne and Agi, but Shadow Zero saw it coming and moved far away from his original spot. He was in the middle of the room; you didn't want to use the same attack or all the chairs would catch on fire.

Rage wasn't thinking the same thing.

"Get back here, you wuss!" he shouted before blasting a huge fiery wave in the Shadow's direction. While the chairs blocked Shadow Zero's escape routes, they did quickly catch fire. The entire place could've burned down if this progressed.

To put out the fire, you told your teammates to retreat and you called Loki. His Mabufudyne sent ice through the whole room; it melted and the fires were gone. You also froze Shadow Zero with Niflheim.

"Souji!" Zukin shouted. "You need to watch your power! You must find a way to rid him of his cloak; that is how he is able to defend himself. Your attacks aren't doing as much damage as they should when he has it on!"

You had just used two of the biggest attacks at Loki's arsenal. You decided to stick with Ishtar until the fight ended. You left the rest up to Akira and Rage. But how would anyone get around the cloak?

Shadow Zero broke open his icy prison and screamed. "This pain," he hissed, "is this how it feels to be on the edge of death?"

"We'll put you outta your misery soon enough," Rage told him. He and Akira launched blasts of fire and electricity at the raging Shadow.

Shadow Zero swung again with his scythe arms and launched a load of chairs in both of the men's directions. You used Ishtar's Mediarahan ability to restore them to full health. You wished more than ever that she had lower-cost moves; given how much you wasted your spirit power, you didn't think you could last another heal.

Shadow Zero had to take a moment to recharge. Akira and Rage shoved several chairs off of themselves and went back to fighting again. Zionga's mass of electricity was borderline deafening, even from the distance you stood. It held him in place, and with the chairs out of the way, Rage called Benkei and charged before burning the Shadow again.

You noticed Shadow Zero was about to deliver another fatal blow to the men, and you told them to get out of the way!

Akira seemed to notice the Shadow's movement and began to dart away, but Rage had a one-track mind. You continued to shout commands at him once the electricity dissipated, but he wasn't going to make it out of the way in time. You knew your spirit power was running out, so you pulled out your sword and planned to take a hit for him. You ran for the disturbed Shadow and defended yourself with your weapon.

Shadow Zero yelled before inflicting his attack; someone had struck him from behind. You came to a halt and saw that his cloak had ripped apart by something sharp, and it fell from his back.

But everyone was in front of Zero. Who could've...?

"Don't forget about me, pretty boy," you heard Yuni say.

No! She had no ranged attacks! What was she getting herself into?

"Yuni, stop!" Akira shouted. "Get out of the way!"

She and Tsutomu ran around Shadow Zero. "I'm here to help, and you guys look tired." She hid behind Tsutomu, and the two split up.

But Shadow Zero took swung both of his arms in a circle around his body and struck both of them. Tsutomu faded and Yuni was launched into a wall.

"Yuni!"

"Akira, don't stop now," Rage yelled. "We gotta finish him off."

"Just a little longer," Zukin said, "he doesn't have much strength left. His attack will take long to build up again; you must hurry!"

You would only get in the way of elemental moves, so you called to your teammates and ordered them to help you with an all-out physical attack. Quickly, they rushed to the large Shadow; you three pummeled him with sword slashes, punches, and gunshots.

The Shadow's posture fell with his strength. Rage bashed him in the head with his shield, and Shadow Zero finally surrendered, fading back into the smaller version you saw before.

"That's enough."

You three, tired and exhausted, noticed that Zero was up again. You all moved out of the way so he could see his dark side. Knowing the Shadow was defeated, Akira and Zukin ran to check on Yuni. You and Rage remained around Zero's side as he came to terms with his other self.

"That girl over there was hurt because of me," he began, "because I couldn't face the fact that I can't stand pain. Because of that, I caused even more trouble. But I'll stand up now, and accept you for who you are; you're the part of me that wants all the suffering to be over. You're the part I convinced that death was an escape from suffering, so much so that we started to believe it to be the right solution. I'm not proud of it, but I won't deny it anymore... you're me."

The Shadow nodded and floated in the air. He faded and reappeared as an angel wearing white and purple outfit with a purple sash around his waist. He had near-black violet wings and hair of the same color that covered his eyes. He had long hair, tied in a ponytail behind his back.

The angel became a card that floated down to Zero, who caught it in his hands.

You and Rage ran to his side, concerned. You asked if he was all right, having been in the television for days.

"I'm fine," Zero muttered, likely lying a bit. "Where is that blonde girl?"

"Uh, she's over there," Rage replied. "But dude, we gotta get you both outta here."

"Give me a minute," he demanded. He stumbled over to the injured Yuni, whose eyes were open.

"She's quite weak," Zukin said. "We can't seem to help her."

"Just get me outside, and I'll get better, right?" she mumbled. "I just need to rest..."

If you had any strength left, you would've given it to her.

Zero fell on his knees, just before Yuni. He placed his hand on her forehead.

"What are you doing?" Akira asked him.

Zero ignored him. He closed his eyes and dropped his head a little, breathing deeply. The angel you just saw appeared behind Zero; you and the others backed away, surprised. The Persona put his hand over Zero's. Their hands glowed, and Yuni stirred a bit more.

He was healing her!

You were all ecstatic to see her feeling a bit better. She struggled to sit up, but you knew she would be okay.

"Wow, thanks, Zero," she told him.

His Persona faded and Zero ducked lower, holding his head. Yuni caught his falling body and Zukin bent down to try to help him up.

"He has been here too long," Zukin said. "We should leave."

Zero had passed out again. Akira silently volunteered to carry him over his back, and your group rushed out of the dark dungeon.

* * *

(There won't be a chapter next week; I'm taking a break just because my writing has been getting shoddy when I rush and it's taking time to fix it. xP I already proofread this chapter once, then just now I went back and fixed more things 'cause so much just needed to be improved. That, and I just want a week off. :P)


	26. Chapter 26

(Not so much in this chapter, but in some of these, I'm forgetting a lot of punctuation rules. Blah. xP)

* * *

You and Rage left the group early that night so you would both be ready for a long Thursday of work. To your knowledge, Zero rested at Yuni's until Devil Zukin was able to walk him home.

Yuni seemed to be doing well; the healing spell that Zero was able to cast was enough to restore her to a normal state; you hoped she would take it easy for a while, at least before playing DDR again on Friday.

You noticed that Zero hadn't shown up at the hospital on Thursday. He was likely still getting rest; at least you could vaguely explain his absence if anyone asked. However, Alice didn't show up this time; you were still filled with questions as to why she needed or didn't need to come to the hospital. Would she ever tell you what was going on?

When you thought about it, you didn't mean to be nosy; you just really wanted to know her more.

You washed the large windows and noticed that it was raining heavily outside. Though the rain usually meant trouble, you knew there was nothing to worry about when Zero was free; instead of causing stress, staring at the free-falling droplets allowed you to relax a bit.

-.

On Friday, you wondered who you would see at the arcade. Was Zero well enough to attend? You also wondered if Robert would consider coming back to the arcade.

"No, thanks."

Apparently not.

"I mean, it's nice of you to invite me back, but I have stuff to do. Besides, I... just don't like playing DDR."

_What?_ But he was so good at it! You had to ask why he didn't play more often.

"I play every now and then. But I don't like playing in a huge group. Go ahead without me."

Oh well. You knew you would probably meet Steve at the arcade; his friends at a video game party would all stop there. Aaron was... actually not at a party. Rather, he was catching up on the homework he had been neglecting for most of the semester.

"Rob! Help!"

Apparently, Robert really was a good tutor. You left the two boys alone to do homework, and you went to slack off at the arcade.

-.

You realized you hadn't practiced at all during the week; you were disappointed in yourself for not having any new DDR skills to show your friends.

But you were glad to see Zero there. You wanted to ask how he was, but you didn't want to leak any information about his trip behind the television. Surely, someone explained it to him after you and Rage left, so you assumed he would keep the secret without asking you questions.

"There was nothing."

Devil Zukin had crept_ right_ up to your ear. You jumped and she backed away afterward.

"Last night... there was static."

Nothing on the Midnight Channel? That was good; you thought, though, that if you had been a day late, it might've been too late for Zero. You were relieved that the three days you took was enough time to rescue him. You nodded, confirming you understood what she was talking about.

"For now, let's enjoy ourselves."

You thought she almost cracked a smile. Where was that coming from? It wasn't like before when she viewed the Midnight Channel as a harsh ransom note; she was looking more at the bright side. You were happy for her.

There were a few strangers on the DDR X machine. You and Zukin passed them and walked to your group of friends – Zero, Emi, Rage, Yuni, Akira, Alice, and Gus had all shown up, and they were all together at a table.

"Hey, Souji!" Emi said. "It's good to see you again, how are you?"

You said you were doing all right; you had to confess that working left you tired. You wouldn't play a lot of DDR that day.

"That's okay. You can keep Zero company; he says he's been sick."

He must not have recovered entirely; you pretended not to know anything about it.

"Yes," Zukin said with a small grin, "I had to... _convince_ his boss to let him have a few days off."

"Convince" sounded a bit like "threaten" the way she said it.

"Just don't go getting the guy fired," Rage warned jokingly.

You continued to talk with the others. Rage spoke of his business. Yuni rambled about disliking school. Gus talked about a party he was at last Saturday. Emi happily shared the brief story of how you had lunch with her.

Your group saw that the DDR machine was left alone for a moment.

"Okay," Rage declared, "who wants to go up with me?"

"I'll go," Gus said, "we haven't gone against each other in a while. Angelic Mix rematch?"

"You're on!" Rage answered. He and Gus raced to the machine like young boys and started a round.

To get the full DDR experience, you wanted to ask someone else to DDR with you. Who hadn't you gone with, you asked yourself. Emi, Zero, Rage, Gus, Zukin... you had played side by side with all of them.

Of the three remaining people, you wanted to ask Alice the most. You didn't want to split Yuni and Akira; it was like asking a girl out in front of her protective father. Truthfully you'd rather dance with a girl than a boy, let alone an intimidating bodyguard. That said, you gathered your Courage and asked Alice to a round of DDR.

"Me? Sure, if you want," she answered. You had been afraid she would accept just to be nice, but you felt that she was genuinely happy you asked her.

You sat next to Alice and watched the DDR machine from afar, knowing that Rage and Gus still had most of the round remaining.

You couldn't explain the feeling, but you could _tell _that someone was staring at you. You looked behind you; while most of the others were talking and watching the guys at the machine, you barely saw Devil Zukin's eyes avert away from you. Had she been glaring at you...?

Rage and Gus challenged each others stamina to their limits. They began with what you assumed was that "Angelic Mix" song. There were several fast steps and barely any breaks in between. After the last heartbeat sound in the song, you were surprised by how they _weren't_ tired yet. You saw Gus raise a prideful fist while Rage yelled in despair; you thought you heard Rage grumble "damn your 10 Perfects" over the noise.

The second round was some song you didn't recognize. It _seemed_ easier than the first song, but you knew you wouldn't be able to pass it yourself. You saw Rage shake his head after the second song while Gus was ecstatic again; the latter had quite a good sense of rhythm, while Rage made carelessly timed movements, even if he was better than you.

Rage chose the last song; upon hearing the preview, you saw Gus groan over it. You thought you'd heard it before. After thinking for a while, you remembered it... Rage seriously picked Max 300? You thought he could barely pass that song!

The two men had taken off their jackets before playing the song and threw them on the floor. They played a section of the song while swinging their arms to aid the movement of their bodies, but it seemed too hard for them to play without the extra support of the bar; Gus gave into the support first, while Rage took an extra two measures of the song on foot alone before he reached for the bar behind him. All you could hear was the constant sound of feet slamming; you were too focused on which man would give out first to even hear the song blaring from the speakers. Inside, you rooted for Rage (being your closer friend who had yet to win a match against Gus) and it was perhaps the longest one and a half minutes you'd ever felt.

When the song ended, they both collapsed on the bar, as Rage did the last time he attempted the song. You knew neither of them would even focus on Perfects; they were more concerned for survival. Was that why Rage chose a hard song that he could win with stamina over an easy song that Gus would win with rhythm?

Wow... this game was making more and more sense to you.

"YES!"

Rage was still having a hard time breathing, but he punched the air while the screen showed him his final score, and he had received a letter grade of a C. Gus had a C as well, but you assumed his score was lower. Knowing their round was over, you motioned to Alice to follow you to the machine.

"Congrats," Gus told him. "I can't out-dance you after all."

"Great game," Rage told him. "All right, let's give Souji and Alice a turn."

After that performance, you were sure you were going to disappoint people. You jokingly said this to Alice.

"I don't think so," she told you. "It's nice to see people improve. Good luck."

You wished her good luck in return. You were on the left and she was on the right. You both swiped your game cards, chose the correct mode, and rested on the bar at precisely the same time. After you each set your difficulties (Basic and Expert), you looked at each other; apparently, you were both passive in song selection. You both laughed; you told Alice that you weren't familiar enough with the music to have any favorite songs yet. You asked her to pick what she wanted.

"Okay," she replied. She set her right hand on the side of the screen to lean against it and gingerly tapped the buttons and indecisively scrolled through the songs. She highlighted a song titled Trust.

"Is this okay?" she asked.

You nodded. The BPM sounded good at the time; not too fast, but a little challenging. You tapped the bar with your index finger to the beat of the song as the preview played.

It was a sweet song; something about love, probably having to do with the anime that was playing in the background. You were determined to keep up with your arrows, and while you missed a few arrows here and there, your rhythm had earned you a high B. Alice had a shiny A.

"Good job," she said. "You can pick now."

You wanted to give your song choice some thought; you asked if she could choose one more and you would pick the last one. She agreed to it and found Waiting 4 U. She had gone down to Difficult for it; you wondered if a level 6 song was too hard for you. You decided to challenge yourself and play on Basic anyway.

The speed was about the same as Trust, but there were more arrows to hit. You struggled to keep up with the song, but you managed to keep from failing. After the last step, you gulped; you shamefully received a C while Alice got another A. She could probably see your disappointment.

"It's a fast song," she consoled. "And plus, you play around level 5 anyway, don't you? You did well. Um... did you want to pick the last song, then?"

With your limited knowledge of the list, you wanted to find something you were good at to redeem yourself. You remembered playing the song will with Zero; it was only a level four and it was an enjoyable song, so you looked Alice's way after highlighting it. She smiled and nodded in approval before she went back to Expert.

After selection, you waited for the song to start. It was a very safe song for you, and you almost found yourself bored for the first few seconds. You began to swing your arms around your body a little, and you took extra steps in the middle so that you didn't lose your rhythm. You smiled to yourself upon seeing so many Perfects instead of the usual Greats.

Both of you were rewarded with the same shining A after the song ended. You looked at Alice, who was quite happy for you.

"Good job," she told you. "You seemed like you were having fun, and you got a good grade."

You complimented her straight A's. She just smiled shyly and muttered a small "thanks."

You briefly stood there and watched her jump off her side of the machine before you got off. You were motivated to get better at the game until you could play what she and everyone else played. You weren't sure where you would go with DDR, but you were more inspired to improve.

* * *

(More pointless fun to come until 'ze criminal strikes again.)


	27. Chapter 27

Being well enough to go to the arcade the previous day, Zero returned to work on Saturday. You only noticed this because he had asked to see you after his shift. He said he'd been contacted to talk about the kidnapping and that everyone would meet at Yuni's mansion.

In the evening, you met with Zero at the entrance of the building as you promised. He didn't bother greeting you; he waited for you to arrive to his side before he began walking out of the building; instinctively, you followed him.

He led you to a parking lot, even to his car (a black one with brown seats, some average looking model you couldn't name) before actually saying anything. For a while, you wondered if he even knew you were following him. You half expected him to turn around and demand to know what you were doing there.

But when he unlocked his car door, he finally spoke.

"Get in."

His chosen words were forceful, but his tone was completely calm. He was... taking you to Yuni's, right? You asked him to make sure.

"We're both going there, and you don't have a car, correct? It'd be convenient to go in the same vehicle. Unless you'd rather not."

Of course you would! You would take a ride in his car over a bus full of strangers any day. And it's not like you had any real reason to distrust Zero. You gratefully accepted his offer before you opened the passenger door on the right side. You sat on the soft seat next to Zero. After you two simultaneously shut your doors, Zero started the car while you buckled your seat belt. As he put on his, he began talking again.

"Why did you rescue me?"

Your were confused because it was a silly question with an obvious answer; if you hadn't saved him, he'd die. Even if you didn't know Zero, he was everyone's friend; besides, it's not like you were in grave danger, having several Personas at your side. There wasn't any logic behind letting him suffer when there was something you could do.

"I see."

Was he dissatisfied with your answer? His expression never seemed to change; he was always frowning a little.

Zero backed out of the parking lot and paid close attention to cars and pedestrians. He remained silent for several minutes, so you didn't say anything that would bother or distract him while he got on the busy streets. He navigated his way through traffic; he was a skilled driver, or at least a very calm one, which was hard to do in New York. At a stoplight, he finally spoke again.

"So, I have a... Persona now?"

You confirmed it. Wanting to carry on the conversation, you asked him if he was interested in saving anyone else that appears.

"Do you think I would leave them to die?"

You quickly protested, but you assured him that he wasn't going to be forced into helping; you and the others would be able to save people if he was too busy.

"I didn't see much of the battle, but I was alert toward the end; when Yuni left my side for battle, I had regained consciousness. I could hear a few indistinguishable words before the sound of a large impact woke me up. When I opened my eyes, it seemed like your team needed help."

He drove a mile or two, changing a lane to turn onto a one-way street, then turned onto another street a minute later.

"In the television, I forgot that death isn't a solution, it's the end. Even so," he said quietly, "is it wrong to wish for the end of the hopeless?"

It was a difficult question. You didn't think you had a good answer, but you saw his eyebrows lower into an bitter expression, and you wanted to tell him something. You never watched him, nor did you really know anything about his skills, but you told him that you admired his dedication to his job, despite the hardships.

"I became a surgeon so that I could heal people," he said. "So... I wanted to ask if I could join you and the others in using Personas."

You welcomed him to the team.

"Aren't you going to ask the others first?"

You figured they wouldn't mind. Zero would probably get along better with everyone else than Rage did with Yuni sometimes.

He smirked. "I guess I have another job, then."

At a stoplight, your entire world froze; you felt a new bond form between you and Zero. He was finally going to open up to you from that point on.

-.

In the TV room, you were greeted by the rest of your party.

"Yo, Souji," Rage said. "Sorry we didn't call you, we kinda decided this just this morning. We figured Zero could just relay the message. How's it going?"

"Now isn't the time for small talk," Devil Zukin said. Please sit down."

Zukin had her spot on the floor. Rage sat down a distance from her. Akira was next to the couch that Yuni sat on. You chose the edge of the long couch and Zero took the middle section.

"Now, as we've asked everyone thus far," Zukin began, "do you remember anything about the kidnapping?"

Zero looked into space for a moment. "It was Saturday evening. I was getting off work and I was just about to go in my house. Just as I reached in my pocket for my keys, I heard a noise. I fell, I think. I felt engulfed by a wave of black, and I developed a headache so strong that I lost consciousness. Later, I woke in that... place."

"It's the same for everybody so far," Rage complained. "Nobody can remember anything except something about a black hole and being knocked out."

And you still faced the problem of never being warned ahead of time; at least in Inaba, you would see a silhouette of a person before they were kidnapped, but despite the fact that Zukin and the others watched the Midnight Channel whenever it appeared, no one saw any sort of notice. It seemed like an impossible mystery to solve... was there anything the victims had in common?

Well, there was one thing that was different: unlike before, each of the victims knew each other.

"You're right," Rage said. "But... what about the first girl?"

"She spoke to each of us and she was well acquainted with Emi," Zukin noted. "Could it have anything to do with the fact that she went to the arcade with all of us?"

"That may have linked her to our group," Akira agreed. "Should we assume anyone at the arcade could be the next victim?"

You could, but what should you do...? Should you start a wave of panic at the arcade or keep quiet? There was still no way to tell who the next person would be, but at least you could tell everyone to be careful. You assumed that the people at the highest risk were Emi, Alice, and Gus. Even your roommates could be victims for being at the arcade sometimes. You instructed everyone to keep an eye on the others.

"Got it, Zero?" Rage said. "You haven't said anything since you got here."

"I'm listening," he answered. "I can't comment because I have no protests and nothing to contribute."

"Well, are you ready to try going in the TV?"

"Right now?"

"Yeah, you got a Persona, so you're gonna join us, right?"

"… yeah."

"So let's go in right now and practice."

You argued that you and Zero had worked a full shift just over an hour ago, and asked if everyone could wait for another day.

"All right, fine," Rage said, disappointed. "You need a weapon, anyway."

Zero looked confused. "I'm going to fight?"

"You need to defend yourself," Akira told him. "What kind of weapon would you want to use?"

Zero seemed confused. You looked at him observantly in hopes to suggest a weapon for him. You figured he wasn't the offensive type; to be honest, his arms seemed thinner than yours, so a sword was out of the question. You didn't want to give him a gun if he didn't know how to use it. A... fan like Yukiko's, maybe? You would probably offend him if you suggested that...

You remembered that he wore large boots. Would he want to use his feet? Chie seemed to do a good job of that, and Zero's dancer-at-heart skills would probably help his kicking power. You told him about Chie's fighting methods and asked him if he would want to try that.

"I think that could work," Yuni spoke. "He's a great dancer; he could take down people like crazy if he wanted to."

Zero grimaced slightly. "Do I need another reason for people to ask me to dance?"

"Do you wanna be on this team?" Rage said. "C'mon, you have a talent, use it."

"Fine," Zero gave in. "Are we done here?"

"I think so," Yuni answered.

You reminded everyone of the plan to watch out for the others.

* * *

(On your way out of the mansion, you saw Alice waiting. Before you could even ask why she was there, she began running up to you with arms spread wide. This was quite out of the blue, but you grinned and began to lift your arms, only to notice that she ran past you and tackled Zero onto the ground. You stood back and watched as they...

... I couldn't post this on April Fools' day without anything stupid like that. :P)


	28. Chapter 28

(Part of this was just written like ten minutes ago but I'm on a skedge now. xP The chapter was initially incredibly short so I appended like part of the next chapter with this one.)

* * *

Before you left on Saturday, you had taken time to finally get everyone's phone number. You were doing homework in your dorm room when the number exchange had paid off; Yuni called you some time after 3:00 P.M on Monday.

"Hey Souji," she said. "Do you wanna go out to the Asian restaurant like the other week? My treat!"

Shouldn't she stay in the mansion? You didn't plan on telling her to sneak out, or both of you may face Akira's wrath... come to think of it, he was actually nice when he wanted to be, but you were afraid of his size and stealth regardless.

"No, I got permission to go. Please?"

But was it all right to make her pay for you?

"Don't worry about that," she said. "I'm an actress; I've got money."

Well, she seemed to really want you to go, so you agreed to it and went back to that restaurant.

-.

You walked in the door and saw her waiting in the first room. She wore her pink shirt and dark skirt. You waved to each other before a woman asked Yuni where she wanted to sit. Casually, Yuni told her to go to the counter up front. She motioned you to follow her and you did.

"They know me by now," Yuni said. "I actually come here a lot. So, what would you like? Pick anything off the menu."

You carefully looked at your options. You scanned through the dishes and chose a meat and vegetable dish that sounded tasty. While you were waiting for your food, you asked Yuni why she decided to come eat here with you.

"Just thought it'd be fun," she replied. "I wanted to get out for a bit. Akira's been keeping me home ever since the incident. I told him you'd be with me, and he let me go by myself." She looked to the ground. "But uh... he thinks you picked me up. Don't tell him, okay?"

You chuckled nervously; you offered to take her back home if you needed to.

"Really? Thanks!" she said. "Um, wait, you don't have a car, do you?"

You shook your head, but you figured you should walk her back home, both to make sure she wouldn't be hurt and to make sure Akira wouldn't be angry.

"Well, if you insist," she said. "Akira's probably doubting I told the truth, anyway, so you coming would probably do some good."

They had an interesting relationship, it seemed. If she was a convulsive liar... was that good for the two of them?

"I don't know sometimes," she said. "I usually just sneak out... I kinda used you as an excuse this time instead of walking out dressed as a maid."

Why didn't she just let Akira come with her?

She groaned. "I don't want him coming _everywhere_. When I first became an actress and got a bodyguard, my friends thought it was weird having someone watch me all the time. He was so much older than us; it was kinda creepy. Then as I got older, so did my friends, and some of them even started flirting with him. He's just another reason for people to use me."

You pondered what you learned about their Shadows. You knew Yuni was usually lied to, but Akira never spoke of how he was often used. You asked if she ever thought Akira felt the opposite way: if people got close to him to get close to her.

She tilted her head. "I guess... I never thought about that. It's all so confusing!" She crossed her arms and pouted a little. "Ugh. But that's why I like the people at the arcade. I sorta disguised myself when I met Rage and Emi. Rage was so dense that he almost told the whole arcade who I was. I mean really, if I'm in a disguise, it's probably because I'm hiding." You two laughed from the story.

"They didn't use me; they just wanted someone to play with," she continued. "They're always honest with me, so I've tried to be honest with them. The same goes for you, Souji. I guess the bottom line is, I took you out part cause I wanted to do something nice for a change... 'cause you're a nice guy."

You chuckled, a tad embarrassed from the comment.

"Order!" you heard the chef say. The man handed one bowl of food to you and one to Yuni.

"Thanks!" Yuni said. You thanked him as well.

"And thank you for coming, too," Yuni told you. She smiled sweetly.

Suddenly, you could feel another bond; a link formed between you and Yuni. You felt the warmth of her sincerity and honesty as you became closer to your teammate.

"You know, you don't say much, but you're a good listener. Anyway, let's eat."

-.

You walked her to the door of her mansion, as you promised.

"Really, you didn't have to do this," she insisted, opening the door. "I mean, it's not like- hiiii Akira! Were you waiting for me?"

You were as surprised as she was to see that he had come to the door.

"Um. Really, what _are_ you doing here?" she asked. "You weren't standing here the whole time I was gone, were you?"

"No," he said hastily. "I was just... well... you said you'd be back by 8:00, and it's-"

"Only like a half hour late," Yuni huffed. "So you were coming out to look for me?"

He frowned; she must've completely read his mind.

"I'm fine," Yuni told him. "I learned my lesson from the last time; I'll be careful, okay?"

"If you say so," he replied. As he let her in her house, he looked at you. "It seems I didn't have anything to worry about with you around," he said. "Thanks for looking out for her."

You felt it was better to hide the fact that you hadn't picked her up; Akira seemed relieved to see you, and you told him you were happy to help him with his job.

"I guess it doesn't have to be full-time, does it?" he began. "She would probably be fine alone, but... she's so young; I can't help but be a bit concerned when I'm not with her."

Well, she was... sixteen, probably? Teenagers like their space; you advised him to leave guarding up to her friends a little more often.

He nodded. "You're probably right. We're both lucky that she made several friends in this town that we can trust. I trust you'll keep an eye out, won't you?"

It sounded like a threat, but at the same time you could tell he was teasing you. From the way he smiled, you could tell that he was able to trust you more, and the bond between the two of you became stronger.

-.

Tuesday, you were back at the hospital. When you took your lunch break, you grabbed the blue bag you kept your lunch in from your locker and headed for the cafeteria.

The difference about that Tuesday was that you were able to sit with Zero. You previously asked him to meet you there, so when you arrived in the room, you saw him idly on his phone at one of the tables, still wearing green scrubs. You hastily walked to him, unsure of how long he'd been there, and greeted him. He waved back; the motion was so small it was more like a casual salute.

"What was it you wanted to talk about?" he asked.

Well, you didn't have a topic. Rather, you just wanted to have some sort of conversation.

Zero raised an eyebrow. He apparently expected some sort of reason for him to be there. For a second, you wondered if he was about to lose interest and leave. You decided to try asking him the first question to come to mind: how... was his day? It was unoriginal, but it was a start.

"Nothing out of the usual," he replied.

You didn't really know what "usual" was for a surgeon.

"I didn't think you wanted to hear about opening up a person's body and working with organs."

Yeah... it was kind of a stupid question. You found it too soon to ask about his Shadow if he didn't bring it up... what was he planning after work?

He shrugged a little. "Not much. I usually go home."

Did he ever practice at the arcade? You noted he was rather good at DDR.

He smirked. "I've only improved by going on Fridays. I usually expect at least one of the others to be there, and I avoid the arcade for that reason. I already know _you_ practice on your own time."

How?

"You improve too fast. You've been here a couple months, but you've only gone to the arcade on about four Fridays. Surely, now that you have the ability to stay out of the middle of the mat, you've had to have practiced when we weren't watching." He leaned back in his chair. "When I said what I said before, I didn't mean I'm avoiding you; I'm trying to avoid the chatty dancers."

You chuckled a little, unsure of how to respond.

"So... was that all?" he asked, apparently eager to leave by this point. You awkwardly said he could go; you certainly didn't want to make it sound like he needed to go away.

"See you."

He got up and left. You enjoyed talking with Zero for a while, but it didn't seem like your relationship had strengthened by much. But at least you learned that he wasn't avoiding you. That was... almost reassuring.

* * *

(One moar pointless chapter and then stuff gets interesting.)


	29. Chapter 29

(As of posting this chapter, I've _just_ learned about the P4 anime. I probably won't change Souji's name unless requested, and even then, probably not until I'm done with the entire fanfic. Technically, it's still manga canon, I suppose...)

* * *

You decided to stop by Rage's takoyaki stand on Wednesday. You hadn't been there in a while, and you owed him a visit. You munched on the fried octopus and listened to him ramble; he had a lot more to say than Zero did yesterday.

"… his attitude pissed me off, so I told him to call me that again to my face. And then Emi told me I needed to cool off for a bit. Man, sometimes I feel like I embarrass her a lot. Whaddya think?"

He had a temper; there was no way to sugarcoat it. But in his defense, it was perfectly normal for guys to pick fights. Even you used to yell at people, generally to defend your friends in Inaba. But there were times and places for fights, so you advised him to think more rather than to do everything on impulse. Even with the best intentions, violence could result in more trouble.

"Haa... even you? You know how to keep your cool most of the time, though. I can't see you flipping tables and stuff." You two laughed at the thought.

"I just get mad easily," he said. "I don't care what reputation my temper gets me, I just care if Emi's okay with it. After all this time, I think she likes me for who I am... but I've got to get on her nerves sometimes, even if she doesn't tell me.

"Yanno, she and her friends came all the way out here after I left Japan," he said nostalgically. "Nobody's ever done that for me. Nobody does that for anybody. I mean, on top of that, she's cute, nice, smart; I'm amazed a girl like her would like some delinquent like me."

He was one of the most loyal people you knew; what more could Emi want than that?

"Loyal, huh?" he asked. "I wanna be. I owe it to her."

He seemed stressed; was there something he wasn't telling you? That was all right; he'd already opened up so much throughout the day. You asked for another small order of takoyaki.

He smiled, dismissing his other thoughts. "Comin' right up."

You were able to get him to think more about his actions, and the bond between the two of you became stronger.

-.

Emi told you there was a park somewhere, vaguely on the way to Yuni's mansion. After talking with Rage, you decided to check it out in the evening.

The weather was beginning to cool down, but there were still a few people taking walks, couples on benches, and kids on a playground. You followed the sidewalk that seemed to wind through most of the park. The busy New York streets were so distant that you couldn't hear the noise of the cars.

You noticed someone was sleeping under a tree. Upon a closer look, it was Alice. Why was she sleeping there? Should you leave her alone or should you say something?

Truth be told, you didn't want to leave her. You got behind the tree and leaned against it while you pondered what to do. You thought it would be a fine idea to wait for her to wake up, but it was getting late, and she may have needed to be awake soon...

You moved to the other side of the tree and gently shook her shoulder. She mumbled softly and strained her eyes open. Her childlike sapphire eyes stared into yours for a moment before she averted her vision, much like she normally did.

"Souji? What's going on?" she asked sleepily.

You told her you found her, and that it was getting close to 6:00 P.M. She looked at her watch.

"Oh, I didn't think I'd be asleep for so long," she admitted. "Thanks for waking me up."

The two of you stood up and dusted the grass from your outfits. You noticed a piece of bark was sticking out of her hair. Silently, you reached and picked it out, letting the dark blue strands of hair slowly fall from your fingertips...

You didn't even realize what you were doing until afterward, when she gave you an uncomfortable look. You retracted your hand apologized; immediately, you told her about the little stick-like bark you pulled out, and showed it to her for proof.

She... seemed to understand. "I see," she said. "That was, um, nice of you."

You stood there for a moment; the two of you looked around the park, avoiding eye contact. The more you looked at Alice, the more you felt attached to her, and the more you wanted to feel her soft hair again...

No, she probably wouldn't let you do that again; the two of you had only minimally spoken for the few months you've been in New York. But from what you had seen, you didn't see a flaw in her. Sure, she had trouble talking to new people, but it was part of her charm. You couldn't help but fall for her a little at a time...

"I should get going," she mumbled. "See you Friday, okay?"

Unwilling to let her leave, you asked where she was going. You sort of blurted out the question; you didn't really mean to bother her.

"I have to get to the TV tower," she said. "Bye!"

She ran off rather quickly. Were you_ that _creepy...? You hadn't struck out with a girl that badly for as long as you could've remembered...

-.

You thought it was funny enough to tell your roommates, but not _that_ funny. After you got to the part about her stuttering, Aaron laughed at you.

"Here I was thinking you were some kinda stud with the ladies," he teased. "I mean, you get along with _everybody, _and then the one girl you try to hit on is turned off."

"Hey, cut him some slack," Steve said, though he was also chuckling in his words. "Guys don't _get_ women. It's a proven scientific fact."

"What research have you been doing?" Robert joked. "Well," he continued, addressing you, "after what you've said about Alice, I'm not really surprised it ended like that."

"So when are you gonna try again?" Aaron asked, elbowing you.

Try again? You hadn't really thought about that; your first priority was to get her to forgive you for today...

"Sooner or later, she'll know you were trying to be nice," your tall friend encouraged. "And then she'll see what a guy you are and _then_ you score with her!"

You hadn't heard _that_ word in a while...

* * *

(I smell rain ahead. Post-rain smells like mold or something to me. :/ )


	30. Chapter 30

(I was gonna cut this part way but decided not to...)

* * *

Friday evening, you took a sturdy umbrella with you as you traveled back to the arcade. The rain was pouring heavily; you figured the Midnight Channel would appear. You tried not to let the thoughts of the TV world haunt you while you were with the others, but you were sure some of your teammates were thinking the same thing.

You knew to keep watch of the others at the arcade, as you didn't know when the next victim would be kidnapped or who it would be. You knew that Rage would watch over Emi, and that Steve was never alone when he frequently visited the arcade. Who would watch Gus and Alice, though?

You would figure out Gus after you asked Alice if you could walk her home. You confidently walked up to her while she was watching Devil Zukin and Emi play DDR.

"You... want to walk me home?" she asked. "Um, it's funny you ask that, 'cause somebody was already gonna walk me home."

Someone asked before you? But who? That aside, you told her you were relieved; you just wanted her to be safe.

She smiled, though you sensed she was uncomfortable. "Thanks for watching out for me, but you don't have to worry."

Did she want you to leave her alone...? You were sure she was giving that kind of vibe, so you nodded and walked away. It was strange... you never felt that kind of thing from Alice before. Perhaps she was still mad about Wednesday. You decided to give her more time to forgive you before bringing it up again.

That only left Gus. You weren't particularly happy about asking to walk another man home, but you knew Devil Zukin enjoyed watching people. Would she do this one favor?

After she finished her round, you asked her.

"Where will you be?" she asked suspiciously.

You figured you'd probably just go back with Steve and his friends. You told Zukin that the Emi and Alice were already being accompanied, and Gus was the last person you were concerned with.

"I see," she said. "Then I will stay by him."

With that, one of three things would happen: no one would get captured, someone would be able to see the criminal, or the criminal would go after someone else. Truthfully, you believed the last to be the worst case scenario; because if someone unrelated was kidnapped, you would be back to not knowing who to protect.

-.

On the bus, Steve was rambling about the games he played.

"The later levels were near impossible and took like three lives to get past them. I mean, the game was only a quarter for three lives, but I -had- to get that high score. Best two bucks I ever spent."

He was a gamer. What _else_ would he spend two dollars on, anyway...?

"You getting any better at DDR?"

You thought you were. You didn't play as much as you wanted to, but you managed to get past a few level six songs on Basic. You wondered when you would be able to move onto Difficult, but you noticed that there were more arrows in between arrows in higher levels; those were rather confusing to try to read. Perhaps that's what your next step to improvement was: to get better at reading arrows.

"Yeah. DDR's all about that concept of hitting arrows with your feet, but when you boil down to it, it's just another video game. You gotta develop a strategy to get better, and the more you can predict the obstacles, the better you are. I'd play it, but I'm just not coordinated. I'd probably just play it on the controller or something."

He'd probably be pretty good, but you developed the belief that DDR on the controller was more like... controller revolution or something.

"Ha, I've heard that term before. They call it CCR."

Evidently, he knew more about DDR than you did.

During this conversation, you felt your phone vibrate. You apologized to your friend, but you were quite puzzled as to why anyone would call you when they just saw you at the arcade. You looked at the name; it was Zero. You answered the phone, despite knowing that the reception was terrible in the bus.

"Souji, it's... I tried ... sh... I..."

What was he trying to say? You interrupted him and said you could barely hear him, being in a bus.

He hung up.

-.

You got back to your dorm room about a half hour later. You decided to call Zero back, hoping that you wouldn't be a bother.

"What happened earlier?"

He actually snapped at you. You quickly told him that your phone wasn't picking up what he was saying on the bus, but you could hear him clearly at this point.

"I was trying to tell you that Alice is gone."

_What?_ She went missing?

"I took her home, and when she shut the door, I waited for a few seconds. As I walked away from her apartment, I heard a rumbling noise. It was bizarre and hard to describe, but it wasn't normal, so I tried to get back into her room. She hadn't locked it yet, and I made it inside. She was missing, and there was no sight of a criminal. No one was there, not even Alice. She just... vanished."

What time was it? You looked at your watch; it was about 10:40. You asked Zero if he could watch for her on the Midnight Channel. If she wasn't in her apartment, she was definitely in the television.

"I should just leave her apartment like this?"

He was still there?

"This is impossible. She was just here. She _has _to be in here. There's no way she or anyone could have made it out."

… _unless_... the criminal took her in the TV with him.

Zero paused before saying anything else. "Fine. I'll watch the Midnight Channel. Goodbye."

That whole time, you heard another side to Zero. You hadn't expected him to be so anxious about the person kidnapped, especially when he was rescued safely. He must know that you would easily be able to save Alice.

But the news had you shaken up a bit as well; this kidnapping had come out of nowhere; you literally had just seen her hours ago, and she was gone instantly. Could the kidnapper finally be trapped in the TV? Would he do anything to Alice while she was in there? You could only hope for the best...

-.

You didn't look forward to seeing Zero at the hospital.

You definitely didn't look forward to the weather, either.

Unable to watch the Midnight Channel, you decided to check the weather instead. It was going to rain on Monday and continue raining until Tuesday. The worst case scenario would be that you would only have until Monday night to save Alice.

When you saw Zero in the hallway, he stopped you and pulled you by your arm into a quiet corner.

"You said she would be on TV, right?" he said. "I didn't see anything."

He couldn't watch it either? Or was it possible that she wasn't in the television at all? No, she had to be; after Zero's story, there was no other explanation.

You told him your reasoning, and that the two of you should go to Yuni's house after work.

He nodded. "See you in the parking lot later."

-.

He was generous enough to give you a ride again, but he was coldly silent the entire ride there. You had no idea what this indicated; was he angry or worried? Whatever he was thinking, he managed to hide it.

That evening, the two of you met with the rest of the group at Yuni's mansion. You quickly greeted the others and asked who had seen the Midnight Channel last night. Rage, Yuni, and Devil Zukin raised their hands. They had all looked at Zero, whom you obviously knew didn't see.

"Zero, you too?" Rage said. "So that's you, Souji, and Akira whose TVs don't get that channel. What's up with that?"

"We can figure that out when we have time," Zero insisted.

"Well," Devil Zukin started, "from what I remember, it went something like this..."

_The camera descended from the ceiling and circled around the room. A spectator watching it would feel a bit dizzy. There were all kinds of decorations on the walls, namely large cards, stars, wands, and drapery._

_The camera found the center of the room, where a girl in a dress-length suit and top hat stood. She held a cane in front of her and leaned on it, facing the ground. Once the camera faced her directly, she looked up and smiled._

_"Welcome to my magic show!" Alice began, removing her hat. "I, Alice the Illusionist, will wow you with my magic tricks! I can do anything you want; just challenge me with your requests, and then watch and be amazed!" She threw a deck of cards into the air, and they spiraled around her before they multiplied and engulfed her. "Stay tuned for the grand finale, where I shall make myself," the cards formed back into a deck and piled themselves neatly into her left hand, "disappear!"_

Surely, she was speaking of illusions... there was no way she could make the real Alice disappear forever, right? You had to note that the next rainstorm was coming quickly, and you would need to take action as soon as possible before the Shadow became aggravated enough to take action.

"Let's go in now," Zero said.

He worked harder than you did at the hospital... was he really willing to go in?

"You said we were in a hurry. I don't need to overwork myself in that other world; you'll likely only rely on my magic, not my offensive skills."

That was true. You didn't know what his spirit power was like, but you said if it was all right with him, it was all right with you. You knew you wouldn't have to finish the dungeon in one day; in fact, it was usually impossible. It seemed wise to at least get through a portion of the area, so that you could have more power on your next visit.

"All right, but don't fall behind, got it?" Rage warned playfully.

Zero smirked. "If you get too far ahead, I can't help you."

"Heh. Well enough talk, let's go save Alice!"

"First, gather your weapons," Zukin advised. "Zero, your boots are over here with everything else. I also have this pair of glasses that you'll need once we're inside."

Your large team got their supplies. Your sword was stashed amongst the other weapons; it was much easier to be armed here than it was to sneak weapons into Junes. Zero apparently had hard boots with armored toes. He tied and buckled them on, and then lifted them awkwardly for a second before getting used to walking in the heavy shoes.

You led everyone in the television...

* * *

(... decided not to cut it because the next chapter is like the longest piece of fudge ever. Even though I hate writing action... going through a dungeon without any fighting just isn't realistic. I really don't know if cell phones work bad on a bus but it was also storming so eh, maybe?)


	31. Chapter 31

(I changed two monsters because the ones I used previously had nothing to do with this dungeon. If you read anything about a bird or a butterfly, please yell at me. Recall that an Ardent Dancer is like two monsters in one, so it was confusing whether or not to refer to it as one or two monsters. Blarg, I say. Also, I have tests and crazy homework and I proofread the last of this at like 1:00 a.m. Yes, I am a hypocrite for uploading while sleepy. :P)

* * *

By then, everyone knew to make sort of a tumbling form to roll on the ground. Zero had taken more of a dive and skidded gracelessly on the ground; you thought you heard him swear under his breath before he stood up and put on his new black glasses.

When Zukin stood, you had to ask: how well did anyone really know Alice?

"I know enough," she said. As she called her Persona yet again, you had to question her relationships with the others; she knew Rage because she had some attraction to him. Zero, you weren't sure about, but they could probably tolerate each other, being quiet and all. She lived in Yuni's residence, but she didn't know Yuni well (probably because Yuni was never home). What made her know about Alice?

… and what could she tell you about her? You thought about asking later...

"She is there," Zukin muttered, holding a gloved hand out and pointing in one direction. Ouze faded and Zukin opened her eyes.

You asked her to lead the way for you and the rest of your team.

-.

You ran through the streets of a city that looked different than the ones you'd seen before in this world. The buildings were cramped together as if the city would've been heavily populated if anyone resided in this dimension.

You found one large building that was likely some sort of entertainment center when Zukin stopped running. There were a few posters outside, advertising shows and times. You noticed that one had a picture of a hat with cards coming out that said "Tonight: Alice the Illusionist!"

"She's definitely here," Rage remarked. "At least this is less creepy than Zero's place."

The aforementioned man had an offended frown.

You took the lead from Zukin and headed inside. There were several clear doors for you to choose; you randomly chose one to your right and pulled it open. The others chose a few that were adjacent to yours.

Inside, you were in a lobby with more posters of Alice performing more than just magic. At least, you believed they were Alice. The blue-haired dancer was depicted in two-dimensional art without a face and with pure white skin, dancing alongside two other girls and singing on stage.

"Welcome!" Alice said from above. "You're just in time! The show's about to start, so hurry up and get a seat before it's over!"

You had three doors and a hallway to choose from... where should you start? You decided to use the strategy of following hallways until you met their ends, where you would then open the doors. The first floor was absent of monsters, so it only took about five minutes to find the first spiral staircase to the next level up.

After everyone climbed the stairs, you found yourselves in a blue-tinted hallway when you heard Alice speak.

"Stand back and watch me," she requested, "but don't get too close. I can't reveal any of my secrets."

"Be careful," Zukin warned. "There are Shadows on this floor."

You unsheathed your sword and looked back at your team, who had also begun unleashing their weapons.

It occurred to you that you had a lot of people to watch out for. You were used to only having about three other people on your fighting team; you could exclude Zukin, but Zero's addition began to make it complicated to organize your group for combat. You stood there, wondering how to arrange your party. You wanted Zero on your team, both as a healer and to train him. Without knowing what kinds of monsters were ahead, it was difficult to choose your other party members. You decided to run forward until you had a better idea of what to expect.

This dungeon was like running through some sort of theater without any stages. Each door led to another large hallway and so on. You assumed there was only one real stage, and that it would be at the end of this maze.

You were about to open the fifth random door until Zukin spoke.

"There is something behind that door," she said. You nodded and fearlessly ran in.

You recognized the Ardent Dancers from the past; two headless couples were linked by the hearts that floated above each of the pairs' shoulders. A card soldier taller than Akira guarded them with a scepter; you wondered if it had any magical attacks.

"It can help its allies," Zukin confirmed. "Exterminate it first!"

"Raaaaagh!"

A wave of fire flew from behind you. Rage and Benkei had been beyond ready. He darted to one of the Dancers and began to solo it. Akira and Yuni teamed together to work on the other dancer, so you summoned Loki to take out the walking card.

Weak to ice, the soldier fell after a harsh Niflheim attack. You were about to finish it off, but a small ball of light ended the match for you. You looked at the others; the other monsters recoiled from the same bits of light. It resembled the very basic Almighty attack Megido... where did it come from?

After watching Rage's opponent fall to his burning inferno, you turned around and noticed that Zero's angel Persona, wielding a holy sword, was floating behind him. Zero had his hand held out as he apparently guided the angel to cast his Almighty spell. Megido was the easiest of spells to cast, but you were proud of Zero nonetheless.

Akira and Yuni took down the Dancer shortly afterward. When the battle concluded, you knew you wanted Rage and Zero on your team, but you weren't sure how to split up Yuni and Akira. Their Personas could hardly be more different, but you knew they preferred to work together. Perhaps they worked well enough as a team that you could count them as one person? That would work for the time being, unless you had to dismiss one of them due to type disadvantages.

You congratulated Zero on summoning his Persona again.

"Hey, what's that guy's name, anyway?" Rage asked.

"His name?"

"Yeah, hasn't he told you his name yet?"

Zero looked at his winged partner. The two seemed to communicate telepathically. "Maion."

"Just like the real Zero," Yuni said, "he won't give you his name unless you bother him about it."

Maion disappeared and Zero said nothing in reply to Yuni's comment.

Based on that battle, you had an idea of how to organize your team. You said you and Rage would be in the lead; Zukin and Zero would be in the middle, while Yuni and Akira would stay in the back. Your party agreed, and Rage excitedly came up to help you lead.

You weren't fortunate enough to run into the enemies you expected the entire way. You told Rage to take down any Dancers and you would cover the increasing number of magic cards, but you found a different kind of monster. It resembled a single Ardent Dancer, but it was only the female. Her head was replaced with a microphone.

Rage, mistaking it for the other monster, launched a flame attack in its direction.

It launched back!

You and Rage braced yourselves, but Loki was able to disperse the fire. You looked back up and saw that the Shadow was unaffected.

She emitted a screeching feedback noise. That noise was her ability to summon Ardent Dancers. You nodded to Rage, and he and Benkei began to take them on. You dashed to the summoner and tested a small Bufu move.

"Do not use ice or fire," Zukin advised, "the singer is strong to ice moves."

"Duck!"

You didn't even know who said it, but you quickly fell to the ground anyway. You instantly knew it was Akira when you heard a gunshot afterward. He aimed right for the microphone, which crumbled into pieces. Though he disabled her ability after that, the Shadow had been able to summon about three couples before losing her power. You got up and thanked Akira for eliminating the source's power before you slashed at her with your sword.

Yuni came to assist you, knowing that physical moves worked well. You wanted to give her a chance to show her strength, so you backed away, using yourself as a distraction so that Yuni could punch the Shadow from behind. She hit the monster about three times before finishing the Shadow off with an uppercut from her bladed knuckles.

Rage seemed to be having fun burning off two of the three monsters, while Akira was calmly yet efficiently destroying the last dancing couple in Lu-yan's waves of electricity.

At no point did you see another Almighty move. You wondered if Zero was saving his strength or if he wasn't paying attention...

That aside, your group kept moving. Door after door, path after path, you found another room with a set of stairs. You looked back and saw that Akira was lagging behind, having to fend off a magic card. You waited for him to catch up in a second before going up the stairs.

"You're getting closer!" Alice teased. "Maybe a little too close..."

"What's she talking about?" Rage asked. "We can't even see her."

"She may not want to be seen," Devil Zukin suggested.

After opening the first door, an Ardent Dancer's sword lashed in your direction, but you swung your sword in front of you to defend yourself. Rage and Benkei rushed to your aid and began to slash the Shadow away so that you could get through. You and Zero made it in before Rage's fight blocked the door for another second. The two of you saw another summoning Shadow ahead. While you were trying to call Loki, it screeched and a few more pairs appeared. It had to recharge before calling more, so you took that shot to freeze it in ice moves; you directed Zero to combat one of the Ardent Dancers.

He didn't seem prepared, as you looked out of the corner of your vision. You had to leave him on his own while you occupied the singing Shadow. Trying to avoid wasting ice moves, you had to slash at its body; however, you were too short to accurately reach the microphone.

When the Shadow disappeared after a slash, you looked around for Zero. He was skillfully dodging the wind spells, by jumping and tricking the monster; you thought he looked like he was in some kind of dance battle. Maion was no where in sight, but Zero took it upon himself to combat the Ardent Dancer physically. He tripped the Shadow before kicking it into the direction opposite of its fall and finished the small battle with a series of kicking moves.

While Zero had finished his first real battle, panting and exhausted, it seemed that the others had finished off the rest. The room was empty. After checking if everyone was all right, you continued running through the maze.

The dancers seemed to only exist whenever there was a singer around; the walking cards (each a different suit and color; you were hoping not to see more than 52) paraded in the hallways and occasionally guarded another Shadow; you and Rage eliminated them quickly, whenever they appeared. After reaching the third floor, you heard another message.

"I didn't want to be in Japan..."

It was the real Alice's voice, speaking a piece of her thoughts.

"I left my whole family behind for my career. Am I selfish for that?"

Your wanted to tell her she wasn't. You _had_ to. You felt a surge of determination to find her, so you quickened your pace. The monsters on that floor were scarce and easy for you and Rage to handle on your own. You handled most of them by using your sword, and Rage plowed his shield into the Ardent Dancers.

He wasn't skilled at fighting the thin cards, though. A small ambush of about three of them charged into your group. They weren't particularly strong; you told Zero to try using Megido again.

He listened to your command, it seemed; more specs of light struck the cards. After they were stunned, Akira shot each of them in the center, as if he was in a target practice range, causing them all to fall to the ground. You and your team rushed to the fallen Shadows and beat them into bits.

The battles only took a minute or two with your large team. You were pleased by how easy it was going to be to get through the dungeon. At least, that's what you believed for that moment...

At the second floor, you could hear another voice.

"I just wanted to dance for fun," she said, "I didn't want to be popular. But everyone kept telling me it was for the best. I can't disappoint everyone by saying 'no'..."

You noticed that she almost never said "no" so someone. Was she willing to let others control her easily? What made her so passive? You wanted to learn more after you saved her, and thus you continued to move. Curiously, you asked how Zero was doing with his Persona; did he know any other moves?

"I haven't had the opportunity to use many," he said. "That... Megido attack combined with the rest of you is enough to take down everyone so far."

You knew that it seemed to work, but Alice's Shadow would be a much more difficult opponent. Deep down, you wished someone would get hurt so that he could practice his healing powers. You wondered if he had any supportive moves. Unsure, you encouraged Zero to try any spells that Maion had at hand if the angelic Persona felt it was the right time.

You were distracted while running, and found yourself trying to swat something out of your eyes. You noticed that it was some sort of confetti; you looked up and saw a magic hat held by a gloved hand; another hand possessed a wand. If it could hurt you, it probably would've done so already; it didn't seem like a threat on its own. You and Yuni quickly slashed it into pieces.

"There are more of those farther ahead," Zukin noted. "I'm not sure what powers they possess, but they cannot harm us directly."

It didn't take long before you heard Alice's voice again.

"Why do people decide for me? Stop telling me what's right; for once, I want to decide on my own..."

Even in her thoughts, she seemed to find it difficult to be very assertive. You could tell she was frustrated, but she didn't sound threatening to you.

"That chick never tells us anything," Rage complained. "I'm surprised she even talked to Zukin enough for her to find her. I'm nice to her, but when we first met, I think she was scared of me."

"That's just how she is," Yuni reasoned. "If she doesn't wanna talk, she doesn't have to."

Before even opening a door on the fourth floor, you could hear a familiar screeching noise. The Shadows must've known that your team was getting closer; a microphone Shadow had already been summoning its allies before your arrival. You had no idea how many to expect, but you asked Rage to come back to your side.

You opened the door. Two summoning monsters led an army of probably ten pairs of Ardent Dancers. Above them were about three magic hats. You wondered whether you needed to take out the hats or the summoners first; Rage didn't seem to care for your instructions and he rushed blindly into the others.

The hats were weak, so you took them on for yourself. You told Yuni and Akira to take the summoners. Yuni darted to one with her fists ready, and Akira ran to the other.

Zero was left to... try casting more Almighty skills. The element had no weakness or strength against anyone; like Yuni's unreliable Mudo skills, they weren't something you needed him to master. But if he communicated better with his Persona, perhaps he would find something else to use.

You turned back to the hats in the sky, who were excitedly waving their wands and dodging your moves. Seemingly pointless confetti fell showered over you and the others before they enemies could fall from your sword. They were a bit too agile for you.

"Souji! Help, nothing's working!"

You ignored him in hopes of striking out the hats, but you quickly found out what he was talking about. Loki's Mabufu skills completely missed the monsters; they were changing someone's stats, but you had no idea what exactly was going on.

"They combined skills," Zukin told you. "One raised their evasive ability; the other lowered your team's accuracy."

Akira tried tilting his head in different angles and blinked several times. "She's right, my depth perception is off."

"Just do some more smashing!" Rage said, launching large fire attacks across the room. "One hit is bound to get something!"

You knew that wasn't going to work; everyone's spirit power would fall quickly with useless attacks. You scrambled to think of a Persona with stat canceling skills...

But you felt a surge of power...

Afterward, you tested your accuracy with a Mabufula attack and managed to harshly strike both two of three hats. They fell from the air, weak to your Persona's ice powers.

Apparently, everyone's accuracy had come back. Akira was able to hit the singing Shadows, and Yuni had been making use of her mass instant-kill moves. They weren't perfect hits, seeing as the monsters were still able to avoid the moves, but you knew they were better than before.

After exterminating the third magic hat, you could aid everyone else in destroying the remaining several Shadows. You tended to avoid Rage whenever you had Loki out; in fact, avoided the man altogether, because even Norn made Rage's fiery moves almost too dangerous for everyone. You tried attacking the Ardent Dancers at a far side of the room.

You switched to Norn in hopes of gaining some of your spirit power back; while you blasted your opponent with varying levels of Garu, you were concerned for the others who lacked an Invigorate ability. You instructed everyone to use fewer spells and to focus on combating the Shadows physically.

Taking your own advice, you pulled out your sword while Norn distracted the dancer with a spell. You briefly looked for the best opening before you swung your weapon into its body.

You made a critical hit! The Shadow fell, and you recklessly pounded it until it faded away.

You turned around to see how everyone else was doing. Yuni was fist-fighting a dancer, while Akira was shooting from a distance. Rage continued to plow through enemies with massive attacks. Zero had apparently commanded Maion to team up against a dancer; Zero kicked from one side as the angel slashed from the other. The first duo finished the microphone Shadows before everyone else, then they split up. Akira went to Rage and Yuni went to Zero. The agile fighters quickly defeated the remaining Ardent Dancers. You were proud of your teammates; they didn't seem to need your help at that point.

After the room was cleared, everyone gathered in the center. You asked if they were all right.

"Yeah, that was nothing," Rage said through breaths. He leaned on his large shield to support himself. "That's just a warm up before we get to Alice."

"You don't look so good," Yuni commented.

"What're you talking about?" he argued, coughing out his last words. Out of everyone, he seemed the most exhausted. It didn't surprise you; he was the most reckless member of your team, and he was the only one launching more attacks when his accuracy was off.

"Your stamina was lowered when using powerful moves," Zukin said. "The fire spells may lower spirit power, but Benkei's harsh attacks come from your regular health."

"You mean if I do stuff like his Mighty Swing or his Black Spot, it has an effect on me? Crap, I've just been doing what he wants; I didn't know there was a drawback."

"Your Persona is about as impulsive as you are," Zero butted in. He raised a hand, and Maion appeared for a second to engulf Rage in a healing light. The light disappeared as the angel did.

Rage stood tall and swung his arms in a small circle, as if to check if they were working properly. He grinned. "Thanks."

Zero didn't say anything to him. Instead, he directed his attention to you. "We should get going."

You nodded and directed your team to the door opposite the one you entered in. Your team took the same formation as before, but you were hesitant to have Rage side-by-side with you if he was running low on power. If Rage used most of his strength on physical attacks, you were sure he used just as much on magic skills.

You were happy that Zero was using Maion more. You wondered... was it him that restored your team's ailment in battle? You asked him if he used a different spell during the last battle.

"Dekunda. My Persona suggested it to me, and I saw no harm in trying it."

You remembered that it was the cure-all penalty power. He didn't seem to have any power-boosting skills, but you were learning that Maion's abilities specialized in healing. With the ability to fight physically as well, you felt that he was an important addition to your team.

You quickly found another set of stairs after a single hallway. The floor was another step closer to Alice.

"If all I do is what other people tell me... what kind of person am I? Am I a person at all?"

"She's only a floor away," Zukin said. "We're getting very close to her.

You were relieved, and more ready than ever to get to the end of the dungeon. Without saying a word, you darted forward, keeping your sword in front of you. On an adrenaline rush, you quickly slashed away at card soldiers that tried to block your path. Rage's blasts of fire cleared the path of stray monsters. He let out so many battle cries in the process that you were wondering if his voice was going to deteriorate faster than his spirit power.

The further you went, the more the monsters seemed to multiply. You and Rage would be occupied by card swinging their scepters at you, and Yuni would have to kill them instantly with Mamudoon (the attack was working more often; you assumed Tsutomu was strengthening her dark power). You weren't sure what was going on behind you, but you could hear sparks of electricity; it sounded like Akira was busy with his own opponents. The monsters refused to die in one hit, so you had to stop and organize everyone for a battle.

You traded Loki for Norn to continue your strategy of aiding Rage's fire attacks. Once the floating women appeared, Rage knew what to do, and Benkei leaped to Norn's side. The two Personas combined wind and fire across the room, exterminating one of three Ardent Dancers.

You looked to Yuni and Akira; Yuni was taking her own route of working on her Mudo powers while Lu-yan and Akira protected her when a giant card got too close. The Mazio spells managed to stop them from moving so that Tsutomu could either kill them or so Akira could shoot one with ease.

Zero and Devil Zukin were being passive. Zukin's Persona, of course, could only detect powers, strengths, and weaknesses. When Zero was able to cast a spell, it was usually a minor Almighty power that struck the monsters in the room. He was likely trying to improve so that Maion could use the next power.

The ambush was causing damage to everyone, so you asked Zero to try a mass dealing spell. His eyes closed, and Maion glided from a monster to his side. His dark wings outstretched as the angel released his healing power to you and your allies...

Judging by the strength you felt restored it was... Media. The first mass healing spell. It definitely topped Dia, at least. You hoped he would master more spells as time progressed.

Though chaotic, the battle lacked the odd spells of the magic hats, and it was rather short. You ran up the next set of stairs, and you were ecstatic to be at the last hallway. You noticed the glowing portal, not as an exit, but as an indicator that you had finally reached your goal. You took a breath and began to charge for the door until-

"Wait, Souji."

You halted after hearing Devil Zukin's voice. You were the leader; why was she stopping you? No, you dismissed the selfish thought and asked her what was wrong.

"We came this far, is that not good enough for today?" she asked. "You recall that we barely made it out alive in the last dungeon. I suggest we come back tomorrow; Ouze tells me that everyone's strength and spirit energy is notably low."

You thought about what she was saying. At the same time, you thought you could understand, finally, how Zukin and Akira felt when you told them to wait an extra day. You knew you would remain anxious through the night, unable to be calm when Alice was probably scared just behind the door you stood in front of, but it would be best for everyone if you all rested...

* * *

(I find this chapter kind of boring but mainly because I can't write adventure. Or read it without getting bored. :P I write overdosages of shoujo drama, darn it, and drama is what we will see soon.)


	32. Chapter 32

(I was missing a line from the last chapter... eh. I'll put it back in. As far as this chapter goes, for some reason I have it labeled as 34. Dunno how that happened. xP Ehm. Yeah. One of you guys is prolly gonna wanna kill me after this chapter. I actually added more to the fight and proofread it like five minutes ago, so as always, please let me know of any typos and things that don't make sense due to sentences getting changed and deleted...)

* * *

You and the others made it to the final room; it had a circular stage in the middle where Alice's magician twin, still wearing her large suit and hat, was arguing with the original. Your team stood back to watch the two girls.

"Alice!"

Akira? No, that loud voice was actually Zero.

The innocent girl turned to face your group. "What are you guys doing here?" she asked, obviously scared.

"No! You're not gonna take me back!" the magician pouted, stomping her foot. The remainder of the room stared at her, confused and defensive. "I'm going to do this last show and disappear! I don't need to be around, anyway!"

"What do you mean?" Alice asked.

"No one sees me for who I am," the magician explained, poking her cane at the ground like it was a walking stick as she paced across the stage. "The girl named 'Alice' doesn't exist. She's just whatever everyone wants her to be.

"I danced because other people said I was good. I performed because they told me to go for it. I became a star because my family told me to. I moved to Japan because my agent told me to. I moved to New York for the people that call themselves my friends. Everyone makes my decisions for me because I can't make any on my own."

"Why are you saying this?" Alice asked.

"Don't you recognize your own thoughts? Or are you confused because people keep putting their thoughts in your head? You never wanted to be here, did you? You wanted to cling to your mommy and daddy for a bit longer. But you're so distant to the people you loved most that they probably don't even remember you. So," she waved her cane, guiding a levitating blanket in their direction. It floated several feet above their heads, and it began to fall slowly. "Just hide under here, and no one will have to see us again."

"I... I don't want to leave forever," she said, stepping away from the falling sheet. "Please stop."

"Oh, think about it," her twin told her, "you never feel like a real person. You've just become everyone's illusion of everyone's perfect girl. Every illusion has to disappear, and you know in your heart that you once you get tired of that charade, you don't want to find out who you really are. You don't want to face the world as yourself, so get back here with me!"

"Get ready," Rage said.

"The least I could do for everyone is to go out with a bang. Everyone believed I should be a performer, and I'll give them what they want. I'll _give_ them the show they _pushed_ _me_ to have and leave this place once and for all!"

"No!" the timid girl screamed. "I don't want that! I'm nothing like you!"

The magician grinned and chuckled in a low voice. Her hair began to rise on its own and you could see the familiar dark aura intensifying around her. A wave of energy pushed Alice onto the ground, and the Shadow manifested into a monster.

The monster was similar to Alice, only it became completely invisible. Her suit was discarded and it revealed her revealing two piece garment; a cleavage-exposing collared shirt with a bikini bottom and a long tie around her neck. You could see the lower contours of her body as dark shadows, and her hair floated like a wig where her head should've been.

You quickly led your team to the Shadow. Devil Zukin pulled Alice to the back of the room, and before you could issue a command...

_PERSONA!_

Rage didn't hesitate to attack the seemingly levitating clothes. Shadow Alice swung her cane just before the bulky Persona landed a punch. A card appeared behind her; it rotated and she disappeared.

"No! Already? But the fight just started!" Rage yelled.

"She is still here," Zukin confirmed.

The single card spawned two more; they shuffled before you and levitated with their identical backs facing toward your team, likely wanting you to choose one. Benkei launched a wave of fire at the rightmost card, and it split into two more. All the cards reshuffled instantly, and then you had four to choose from.

"If you choose the wrong card, it will only make things worse," Zukin warned.

"There's five of us and four of them," Rage reasoned. "Let's just get 'em all at once before they shuffle!"

His logic would work if you could all cooperate and time your attacks. You readied Loki, while Akira and Yuni called Lu-yan and Tsutomu respectively. You commanded the Personas to attack simultaneously with a physical attack, and so they did; each of them slashed with their weapons and hands. Tsutomu had attacked the second-to-last card and triggered a feminine shriek.

That card exploded into a puff of smoke and Shadow Alice instantly fell to the ground. Tsutomu instinctively backed up and prepared a follow up attack, but once she swung her fist, Shadow Alice knocked it away with her cane while still lying on the ground. The magician violently swung the stick, spreading a wave of magic about the room. Tsutomu charged at the recovering girl and ran past her; it was impossible to stop efficiently at her speed and Shadow Alice levitated on her own, preparing another spell.

Judging by your vision, you knew everyone suffered from another accuracy ailment. You commanded Zero to use Dekunda.

He nodded and summoned Maion's card from his soul. Without actually saying anything, he kicked it into pieces and the angel appeared. Maion stretched his dark wings, and cast a light to each person in the room with his arms spread out.

By that point, Shadow Alice had readied another spell. You couldn't describe what you felt, and you stood for a second wondering what she had done to you until the Shadow used a weak Garu spell on Akira, knocking him down instantly. Your defenses must have been lowered.

You commanded Loki to stun her with Niflheim, while Zero had to re-cast Dekunda. Loki's ice wall had her captured long enough for Lu-yan to charge into her; the shock of the broken ice and Lu-yan's fists impacting caused her to scream again.

"_Alice _can't win this battle the way she is," the Shadow muttered. "But I... _I_ know enough tricks to fool everybody!" She waved her cane in a gentle circle above her.

"She's gonna do something again," Rage yelled. "Get her!"

Benkei charged to Shadow Alice's body and swung his sword into her. The magician's body and hair were gone for a moment; upon the weapon's contact with her chest, her shirt flung, undamaged, almost as if her nonexistent body was made of rubber. Her outfit pulled itself back together, and you could see her body and hair again.

"How was that for a magic trick?" she taunted.

"How'd you do that?" Rage yelled.

She giggled, then he voice became threatening. "There are plenty of secrets I can't tell you."

Akira sighed as Rage grunted. "Don't be so rash," he yelled to his teammate.

"But how else were we gonna figure out that she could do that?" he argued back. "We gotta plan around it!"

You used Loki's Niflheim again to freeze her in place. She noticed the attack, but a second too late; Shadow Alice was temporarily locked in an ice prison. Your lack of spirit power rendered you unable to keep her in there for more than a few seconds, but it hindered her movement shortly afterward. Mid-attack, you called to Yuni, whose quick Persona could perform a follow-up move.

"Right!" she said, directing the equally eager Tsutomu to chuck stars at the Shadow. The Persona spun her entire body as she threw five black stars at her enemy.

The stars stuck into her near-invisible body for a moment. She shivered from the cold of your ice attack, and then snapped her fingers, making her body disappear again and allowing the stars to fall down from the air and onto the ground.

"How can we hurt something that's not even there?" Yuni asked.

"Paralysis," Devil Zukin mumbled from the distant area of the room. "You must prevent her from using spells on herself!"

"Don't be concerned with what I do," the Shadow yelled. "Worry about yourselves!"

She pointed her cane at your group; you felt a tinge of pain, but nothing that lasted. You looked to the others, however, and noticed that Yuni and Rage were panting. They were suffering from exhaustion. What could cure that? The least advanced moves that came to mind were Nervundi and Energy Shower. You asked Zero if Maion could use either of those; as he communicated with his Persona, you and Akira tried to distract Shadow Alice. In the seconds it took to charge another spell, Akira managed to shoot her with five bullets, but before you could hit her with her sword, her body faded again; your sword had no effect on her waist and Akira's bullets fell.

You saw a flash of light from behind you

"Thanks, man!"

It was Rage; Zero must've been able to cure him first.

"We have to stop those spells before making any movements," Akira agreed. "Rage, get ready!"

"Huh?" he said, making you concerned if Rage knew what he was doing. He watched the bodyguard dart behind Shadow Alice. Rage had called Benkei, distracting the girl from Akira. As Rage's Persona spawned, Lu-yan's powers electrocuted her from behind, which let Rage perform a fire spell to add to her pain.

"Pile on!" Rage shouted. "Souji, Yuni, Zero, let's attack her while she's-" but before he finished his request, both his and Akira's Personas were reflected away from her.

She stood elegantly and twirled her cane. She stamped it on the ground, causing a shockwave that sent electricity to you and your teammates. You were lightly damaged. Akira was unaffected, but it stunned Yuni and Rage.

Surely, she was expecting you or Akira to attack her again. You two nodded at each other and decided to attack at the same time from different angles. Akira was still behind her, so you two switched sides to confuse her. Akira faked a call to Lu-yan while you mentally summoned Loki again, this time you only used Bufudyne to spare your spirit energy.

"Zero! Get her!" Akira shouted, while lending his Persona to assist you as well.

You didn't hear him call out for his Persona, but you saw the light from the angel arise from thin air. As Maion prepared his sword, Shadow Alice yet again broke free from the block of ice, and quickly used another spell. You opened your mouth, but no sound came out. No... she had the ability to silence you! You looked around for anyone who noticed; Zero had his hand over his throat. You and he were the only ones who could heal... you were doomed if she caused another ailment.

Shadow Alice's outfit separated of its own will. The outfit flew in front of Maion; the magician formed herself right in front of the Persona and quickly choked his pale neck with her right hand, holding the cane in her left.

"I actually got you to shut up," she said. "Now maybe you'll finally listen to what _I_ have to say."

Maion faded.

You turned your tired head toward Zero, who had a hostile look on his face. He looked hesitant at the same time.

"I saw everyone in their Persona. Rage's muscle man, Yuni's stealth ninja, Akira's loyal soldier," she tapped her cane in her left hand as she walked closer, neither her nor Zero showing fear. "But you brought along an angel, one that hides his face behind his hair. You love to hide things, don't you? Like the fact that you never really wanted to be anyone's friend here. You're just here to stalk me, and you _used_ my friends as a means to do so!"

You thought you could hear him growl a little.

The Shadow's body became increasingly visible. You could start to see that she was actually a mutated monster with yellow eyes and rough purple skin. "You think I like being told what to do all the time, but I _hate_ you for that!" Her true body was revealed itself entirely as she shouted. "I hate how you just expect me to agree to everything you ask! I hate that you deceive people and think you can get away with it! I-"

_SLASH._

Maion's sword struck her head from her shoulders. The speed of the sword caused the Shadow's head to fly several feet away, while the body stood in place, shocked for a moment, before falling on its back.

The team gasped, and you did as well. Never had you seen the head of a powerful Shadow discarded like a piece of trash. The unconscious head came to rest with her hair sprawled out on the floor and tangled around her broken neck, not bleeding but emitting bits of shadows. Her eyes and mouth were frozen open. Her body's arms and legs lay limp on the ground.

For a moment, Zero was fuming with revenge in his expression, but his eyes widened seconds later. He stepped closer to her fallen body, and Maion picked up her head. Zero watched as the angel fused the two pieces together.

Shadow Alice was able to close her eyes, but she continued to rest on the ground. You knew that she wasn't going to get up; she had been defeated.

Alice was still being guarded by Devil Zukin. You and your friends ran to check on her.

"Hey, are you all right?" Rage said first.

Her eyes fluttered open and she groaned. "I'm sorry," she said, in a tired voice. "I don't know where she came from, but..."

You briefly explained what her Shadow was, and told her not to worry about what anyone thought of it. What was important was that she needed to accept what she was for who she was. Those fears, hates, and hostilities... it made her Alice, and it was nothing to be ashamed of.

She stared at you for a moment, sinking the words in. It was the first time she willingly stared her gentle sapphire eyes into yours. After few seconds, she got up and stumbled into the direction of her now kneeling Shadow, who was no longer a monster but rather looked like a clone of Alice again. The real Alice knelt before her.

"Okay," she said gently, "I thought I wasn't the kind of person to let these things bother me. But you think about the same things I do. You do everything just to please everybody, and sometimes you forget that you aren't the person everybody wants you to be. The one thing you and I have in common is that we don't want to be hated by anyone. We are what other people want us to be because we want everyone to be happy with us. You're the part of me that people don't always see, but that doesn't mean you can disappear. I need you to be who I really am."

The magician smiled and nodded, then transformed into a ball of light that blinded the spectators. When the light faced, a Persona clad in a rose colored wrap dress with gold accessories floated before everyone. Her face had a white mask that covered her mouth... or perhaps a black mask that covered her eyes; you couldn't tell. Her blonde hair was braided behind her back. The Persona faded into a small glowing card. Alice stood up and caught the falling light in her hands, where it vanished and sank into her soul.

"H... Hael?"

After taking in the power she stumbled. Zukin and Yuni ran to catch her before she fell.

"Let's get her out of here," Yuni said, "she's gotta be tired."

-.

Outside the TV, Alice was placed on the couch until she woke up a little under an hour later. As she woke, your team rejoiced, and Maid Zukin presented some hot chocolate to her, the same chocolate that you and your friends had been sipping during her sleep. The purple cat girl left the room before you spoke about what happened in the TV.

"Hey, are you feeling better now?" Yuni asked quietly.

"Mm, yeah," Alice mumbled. "I can hardly remember... what was going on."

"Don't push yourself," Akira said, "if you're unwell, we can take you home to rest."

"Y-yeah," she said, "I'm all right, but I sometimes... get really dizzy." Her voice sounded strained. "Thanks, everyone, for coming after me."

You all nodded.

Alice blinked a few times and turned her head, scanning the room. "Um... was Zero around? I thought I saw him before..."

Zero had abandoned the group immediately after Alice was out of the TV. You asked how much she could remember... had she not seen anything during the battle?

"After that Shadow thing attacked me, I blacked out... then when I woke up, she was on the ground. After that that girl named Hael appeared and glowed in my hands, I was so exhausted that I couldn't remain awake, and then I just woke up now. That's all I really remember..."

Everyone suspected why Zero left, but you felt she was in no condition for any added stress, so you initially didn't say anything. The silence proved that your friends agreed. You simply told her that Zero left after she was out of the television.

"Oh... I see," she said.

"Do you think you will be able to get home?" Devil Zukin asked. "It is getting late, and I will accompany you if you plan to go out."

"But we're not gonna kick you out or anything," Yuni said. "You're welcome to stay here for a night if you don't need to be back."

"I think I'll stay," she said. "Sorry to be a burden..."

"Don't worry about it," Rage told her nicely. "We just want you to get better, all right?"

She smiled before laying back and closing her eyes again. "Thanks, everybody, for everything."

The group figured they should leave her alone. Zukin remained in the room to watch her, while you and the others walked out the door. Akira, the last to leave, clicked it shut behind him.

Was it worth talking about what happened in the television? Knowing that Alice would get better, the next thing that had you the most concerned was the matter of Zero. He stormed off quickly after Alice was safe, but would he want to come back to save the next person if she was on your team? You asked if anyone should tell Alice what happened inside the television, or if she would be better off not knowing.

"She's got too much on her plate to worry about," Rage said. "Maybe when she's better, we can sort that out. I'm surprised she singled him out like that. What'd he do to her? I practically wanna go beat up Zero about it before I say anything to Alice." He punched his hand in a fighting pose.

"Don't do that," Yuni ordered. "We don't know the whole story. You could just make it worse."

"This is Zero and Alice we're talking about," Rage argued. "Nothing is _ever_ Alice's fault; _everything _is Zero's fault."

"Oh, you're full of it," Yuni huffed. "We don't even know the guy that well."

"We'll sort this out another day," Akira proposed. "Break it up, you two."

The bickering pair agreed, and you and Rage bid the owners of the mansion goodbye before you left.

You knew that Alice had come to the hospital multiple times to talk to Zero out of her own will. Why would she do that if she hated him? And since when did it bother Zero if someone disliked him? You were definitely missing part of their story. But Zero was probably in no mood to talk to you; you decided to wait for him to cool off before you brought this up again.


	33. Chapter 33

(Very short chapter; I could've fused this with the next one but it's late and I really need to make sure the next one is how I want it)

* * *

The weather was not ideal for a trip to the carnival, which was exactly why you decided to visit Rage. You figured you might've been the only person to buy takoyaki from him on Wednesday.

With your hands tucked in the pockets of your jacket, you walked through the carnival and the fog until you found not only Rage, but Akira and Devil Zukin as well. You wondered if they watched the Midnight Channel. It had only been about a day since you rescued Alice... had it been foggy enough for the channel to appear?

"I saw static last night," Zukin said.

"That means we barely rescued her in time, doesn't it?" Rage asked you. "Zukin's been telling us about the 'static channel' before a foggy day like this. The same stuff that happened to your friends, I think." Last time, you could count on having weeks to save someone, but the period between capture and being in danger was much shorter for the people in this city. How many more people were going to be kidnapped? Would you be able to save them all in time? You had to make a better effort to find the criminal, or else you were afraid of what would happen.

Should you start a wave of panic at the arcade or keep quiet? You were going to have to do the opposite of what you had been doing before: tell the people closest to you that there was something going on. But if you were specific about the Midnight Channel, you would have too many people watching it, and too many secrets would be exposed. You instructed the others to remain as vague as possible.

"You want us to start telling people about the criminal now?" Rage asked. "I don't know..."

Your logic was that if someone knew ahead of time, he or she could prepare for capture. All your friends would need to know is that you all heard about a kidnapper; that was a normal warning that wouldn't arise many questions, plus it would make everyone more alert of what was going on.

The others agreed to that.

"I'll tell Yuni our plan," Akira said. "Souji... I ask that you be the one to talk to Zero. You're probably the only one who sees him on a regular basis."

"And Alice?" Zukin said.

"Yuni will probably talk to her, if no one else," Akira said. "Then all we need to be concerned about is watching over everyone. After today, it won't rain much. We don't have to worry for a little while."

You nodded. You weren't sure if you were getting closer to saving everyone, but at least you were about to try something new.

-.

"A kidnapper?" Steve said. "I haven't heard anything about that."

"It's odd that you've heard about something that the police haven't even mentioned," Robert said, raising an eyebrow. "You're not just trying to start rumors, are you?"

It was quite the opposite; you hoped they weren't going to tell more people about this. You tried to calm them down by just saying it was something you heard, but they all needed to be careful regardless.

"It is New York, after all," Steve shrugged. "Kidnappers and thugs probably seem crazy to you, Souji. You don't needa worry about us; we're usually pretty smart."

"Rob!" Aaron yelled. "Come on, the test is tomorrow!"

"He uses the term 'smart' loosely," the dark-haired boy grumbled before going back into Aaron's room to study.

-.

You were nervous about talking to Zero on Thursday. Was he still upset about what happened in the dungeon? You didn't know the man well enough to predict him, but he didn't seem like the type of person to hold a grudge. Besides, what happened wasn't your fault... not directly, anyway.

You invited him to lunch again, and he accepted your invitation. He didn't ignore you; you were off to a good start.

Once you two sat down, you informally told him about your plan to tell people to watch for a kidnapper; specifically anyone who had gone to the arcade.

"This is everyone's plan?" he asked. "I see."

You assumed he was going to cooperate with your group. He didn't seem like he was mad at you at all. You wondered if this was a good time to ask him if he was all right after the battle.

He hesitated after you asked. "I'm fine," he said calmly. You knew not what he really meant by that, but you could tell he was still affected by Shadow Alice's words. If he wouldn't tell you anything, you didn't know how to fix the problem. Or perhaps he just preferred to handle those kinds of conflicts alone. You chose not to bring up the TV world after that...

-.

You had agreed to meet with the rest of the group (now including Alice) at Yuni's house on Friday before going to the arcade. You were in charge of inviting Zero, but when you asked him over the phone, he simply replied...

"I'm busy."

… and then he hung up. He hadn't used that excuse since you rescued him from the other world. You knew he didn't work Friday... was he really busy, or was he trying to avoid everyone? Or was there one person he wanted to avoid...?

Lacking a ride that time, you took multiple buses to get to the mansion. Once you arrived, you saw that nearly everyone had beaten you there; Devil Zukin sat on the carpet while Rage, Yuni, and Akira took the three seats on the couch. You found a stray chair by the far end of the couch and took a seat.

"Hey, didja get ahold of Zero?" Rage asked.

You had to tell them that he wasn't coming. The others sighed.

"I didn't think he'd stay mad like this," Rage said. "Alice isn't the first person to call him creepy."

"She is the first person to hate him," Zukin defended. "It seems they have something they need to work out."

"Yeah, how would you feel if Alice didn't like you?" Yuni argued. "She's like the nicest person on the planet."

"Alice's Shadow didn't like anybody!" Rage retaliated. "She probably would've said _I'm_ creepy! Maybe she didn't mess with us 'cause we were the ones doing all the fighting or something. I don't know."

Yuni paused. "So then... why haven't any of us tried to help Zero out yet?"

The room was quiet for a moment.

"Remember, Alice doesn't know what happened yet," Akira noted. "We probably shouldn't bother him just yet."

But you hoped you could recruit Zero again. You didn't want the TV world to tear apart any friendships, and it was everyone's duty to help each other out when things like this happened. But when neither Zero nor Alice talked much, there were a lot of missing pieces to the story, and you would need to find them in the best way possible.

You had to ask... where was Alice?

"She usually doesn't even work on Friday, but her manager insisted she do some publicity stuff," Yuni replied. "We kinda expected her to be a little late."

She was often busy, it seemed. Usually, when you did see her, she seemed like she was tired or stressed. But when she was at the arcade, her worries seemed to disappear. The atmosphere had quite an effect on her... it had an effect on everyone, really. Perhaps you would make another effort to bring Robert back; he could use a break...

While you were lost in thought, the others gossiped about what happened over the past few days. You heard a knock on the door and everyone's chatter died down.

"Come in," Yuni said.

Maid Zukin opened the door and directed Alice into the room. The blue-haired girl shyly entered and waved to you and the others. Everyone quickly greeted her in return.

"Please find a place to sit," Zukin suggested. There was a chair next to yours, and she chose to sit there. You calmly asked her what she could remember about the night she was kidnapped.

She began by stuttering a little. "Um, I think that was the night we went to the arcade. It was raining a lot, and when Zero left me alone-"

"Wait, hold on," Rage said. "What was Zero doing there?"

"I-I don't know, he said he'd walk me home," she replied nervously. "Souji offered, too, but I already said I'd go with Zero before that, so... um, you guys already knew about the kidnapper, so I think Souji and Zero were both trying to protect me... right?"

Rage crossed his arms. He had a suspicious look on his face as he leaned back on the couch. "All right, sorry for stopping you. What else happened?"

"I wasn't alone until I got in my apartment. Right after I closed the door, I felt like something was pulling on me. I just remember a loud whoosh noise before everything went black. My head hurt so much that I fainted. And when I woke up, I was in that other dimension."

This wasn't making sense to you... Alice's memory seemed fresh and intact, but no one could explain what happened before everything went black. While you mentioned this aloud, you also noted the fact that Zero had gone into her apartment immediately afterward and didn't find the criminal anywhere; that was when you suggested to him that the criminal had gone into the television.

"But I'm positive that Alice was the only person inside the television," Zukin said. "I couldn't sense another being in there. Is it possible that this criminal knows how to get in and out of that world?"

You had experienced people with stranger powers, and it was probably a possibility. Your mind shifted to another question: who could be throwing people into the TVs? And who would be targeted next? You shared these concerns with everyone else.

"Let's go over the incidents," Akira suggested. "First, there was Emi's classmate. She was missing at the beginning of September, and died days later. Then Rage was missing about a week later, followed by Yuni two weeks later, Zero two weeks after her, and Alice a week after him. The time frames are slightly but notably different, and they were usually kidnapped before rain would cause the Midnight Channel to appear.

"But," he continued, "Alice still follows the pattern that everyone thrown in the television had gone to the arcade before, as well as that we all knew each other. I can't shake the feeling that anyone we know could be next."

"And we still haven't figured out why Souji and Zero couldn't see the Midnight Channel on their TVs," Rage mentioned. "I wonder... Alice, have you ever seen it?"

"Seen what?" You realized that no one really explained the channel to her...

Rage attempted to describe it. "It's like if you stare into the television at midnight when it's raining, something appears. That's how we found out who was trapped, but only some people can see it."

Alice shook her head. "I'm never awake at midnight, so I haven't tried that."

You requested her to watch for the channel the next time there was rain. She agreed to it.

With everyone caught up on the information, you were left with the rest of the Friday to head to the arcade.

"Oh yeah, today's Friday," Rage said. "I need to get down there and serve Gus again in DDR."

"'Again?' You know he beat you last time, right?" Yuni joked.

"Hey, _I _remember beating him at Max 300. That's a victory for me."

The blonde sighed. "All right. Well, we're all here; we may as well go together."

-.

You all seemed to be the first ones at the arcade. Rage took the opportunity to leap onto the machine before everyone else and pulled out his point card. Akira was casually walking to the machine, but Yuni bolted to the mats before him. Rage grinned at her determination and the two began a match.

The night went on while you would accept ant dancing requests given to you (Rage, Emi, and Yuni were eager to get you to dance). You had crossed your fingers in hopes that Zero would've cooled off from the events in the TV world by that evening. He had to realize that avoiding Alice wasn't going to solve anything. He was a loner, but he didn't want to _be_ alone; you could tell, because you still had that bond with him, like you did with every other teammate.

But Zero never came that night, and no one questioned why.


	34. Chapter 34

(Cannot guarantee weekly updates; read the note bold in my profile if you want to know why. It is also why this chapter and likely the next one are embarrassingly short. A little more filler-ish stuff here and there.)

* * *

As the end of the semester became closer, you realized that you hadn't been studying as much as you probably should've. You agreed to meet Emi at the library on Sunday, as you promised a few weeks ago. You also decided to surprise her...

"Hi S...ouji?"

Her attention wasn't directed at you, but rather the dark-haired boy behind you.

"Hey, Robert," she said. "I haven't talked to you in a while."

"Same here," he said. "Nice to see you."

You could tell there was a wall between them; the only reason they met before was because of one student; one that Emi had befriended, Robert had tutored, and, unbeknownst to both of them, was killed in the television. But these two were your friends, and you hoped the two of them would be able to put that behind them. Robert not only needed to get out of the dorm, but he also understood your class more than you did...

"So," he began quietly. "Um, the test this week is over chapter 10 through 14, so, let's get started on that."

He was usually a bit more harsh to your roommates; was he simply nicer to girls? You pulled out your heavy book, having chapter 10 bookmarked like Robert had previously instructed you to before you left.

"The example problems were really easy," Emi commented. "But they were all the same. I don't think that's gonna be all the test is over. Mr. Reddot likes putting those hard multiple choice questions on his tests." She pouted a little.

"Yeah. Dad's always been tough like that."

Ha...

... wait.

You and Emi stared at him questioningly; Robert's eyes were horrified for a second.

"You um... weren't supposed to hear that."

"No way, Mr. Reddot's you dad?" Emi had to ask, raising her voice in the silent library.

"Please don't tell anybody!" he shouted in a whisper. "Nothing good'll come out of everybody knowing I'm related to a teacher."

"Ah, 'cause they'll ask for answers and stuff?" Emi guessed. "But I don't think he'd let you cheat like that. And I don't think you're the kind of guy who will cheat anyway."

"Yeah, he's especially tough on me," he said. "He always expects me to be the best I can, without any sort of cheating. I try to impress him, but he was an A student, and wants to raise his own A student. I may not wow him much, but my classmates in high school usually take note of me and demand answers. I kind of like college actually; the classes are so large that no one person ever stands out."

"But if you stand out, surely your dad's more likely to notice you, right? Don't you want that?"

"Not exactly. The other kids notice first, and they like to ask me for help on... everything." He frowned. "Well, it's not like my dad's ever _disappointed_ in me; he's just busy being a professor."

"Hmm. I think being so hard on you is his was of noticing you," Emi suggested. "He knows you can overcome odds and stuff like that."

"Maybe," he shrugged. You guessed he didn't really like opening up like this. You asked if he wanted to go back to the book.

"Yeah, sure," he replied, a little relieved.

It took the three of you an hour to get through the remainder of the material. Once you finished reviewing the end of chapter 14, you all breathed a sigh of relief. You and the others were packing your bags with your books and supplies while Emi spoke.

"Who wants to go out for some dinner?" she proposed. "I'm starving."

"I'm too hungry to go anywhere," Robert joked. "I just wanna head back to my dorm."

"Aww, not even at the cafeteria on campus?"

He looked thoughtful. "I guess I haven't been there in a while."

"Cool! Let's go!" She swung her book bag over her left shoulder, while you equipped yourself with your trusty old shoulder bag. Robert had barely put on his backpack before Emi tugged on his arm and began to drag him in the direction of food. You hastily followed them, noting that she seemed to be getting along with him rather well, even if he still seemed a little uncomfortable around her...

-.

"... and the pizza is really tasty; they bake it right in this neat little oven and you can smell the cheese and sauce from a few meters away, but sometimes it takes a while and you can just grab those little packed sandwiches..."

You found yourself salivating at Emi's long and detailed description of the food you were about to eat. The three of you had just stepped into the food court, which consisted of that pizza place she spoke of, a large refrigerator of pre-made sandwiches, a soda machine with cups to the side, some unattended hot dogs and what looked like egg rolls on a roller, and some sort of American fast food restaurant. You all split up, having different palates. You looked through the refrigerator, trying to avoid the greasy food found everywhere else. Amongst the fruit, yogurt, and different kinds of sandwiches, a turkey and Swiss cheese packed sandwich combined with lettuce caught your eye. You opened the fridge and pulled it out. You looked around for the others; Emi had her heart set on two slices of pepperoni pizza and Robert had picked a slice of cheese pizza. You all decided to split a large dark soda before you each bought your food and left.

The dining area was pretty empty. Evidently, no one wanted to be at school on a Sunday. You quickly found a booth with room for four people. You sat first, while Emi took the other side and Robert chose to be next to you.

"I don't know what I'd do without DDR," Emi commented. "If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't be able to eat all this pizza!" She took a large bite out of the pizza and savored the flavor of it. You almost wished you had some, but you were content with your sandwich.

"You always liked junk food, didn't you?" Robert said.

Emi nodded. "Well, ever since I met Yuni." She laughed. "After she came to Japan, I went over her house, and she had all kinds of food in her mansion over there, and a lot of it was American stuff."

"But pizza is Italian... isn't it?"

"Oh," she blushed. "But, you know, people eat it a lot over here. I think Americans add more cheese and go crazy with the toppings. It's like a different kind of pizza, I think."

"I guess you're right." He took a bite of his. "You lived in Japan up till now, Souji; ever tried pizza like this?"

Not very often, you had to admit. The only times you ever saw pizza were when you were in the city and there were foreign chain restaurants there.

"Want some of mine?" Emi offered.

You had to decline, or her pizza would disappear much like Yukiko's tofu. She stared at you with a confused look, until you explained how Yosuke and you were offered a bite of two girls' lunches and became so addicted that you ate all the food in seconds. She laughed.

"You lose control like that? But you're so cool and stuff! I almost wanna see that."

"_I_ wanna see Souji lose it," Robert said, making everyone laugh. You told her to keep her food anyway.

"Okay, okay," she said.

You smiled; the happy feeling was a bit contagious. Even Robert seemed to be having a good time. Perhaps the two of them would be friends again after this day...


	35. Chapter 35

(If you really don't care what happens to Zero and Alice, skip to like the end of the chapter. There was a dilly-dally scene that got cut due to the crash, but it wasn't plot-related.)

* * *

Tuesday was a tense day at the hospital. You weren't entirely sure if you were going to talk to Zero, but you were more concerned about meeting with someone else that day. While scrubbing down a vacant room, you wondered what you would do if she managed to find you...

"Souji?"

You were out of time to think.

Before looking in her direction, you knew it was Alice's voice. You greeted her and asked her why she was at the hospital. She never really had told you why she would frequently visit...

"I was, um," she stuttered. "Well, it's just, you know, Zero wasn't at the arcade last week. He won't tell me why. I was just wondering... did you know anything about it?"

Well... yes, you knew something, you told her hesitantly. If Zero was unwilling to have any contact with her, it was time to get involved. You couldn't believe he was still avoiding her... didn't he know it wasn't going to solve anything?

You told Alice that his problem likely had to do with rescuing her in the TV world.

"Oh, he... he doesn't like me because of my Shadow?"

Sort of. You replayed the scene in your mind. You told her about the Shadow itself: her magic powers, her taunts, and how you had to team up to defeat her. But she had so many tricks, it wasn't enough. Zero's Persona beheaded her right after she said some... things.

"What things?"

These were delicate facts; you didn't want to mess them up or you would cause more trouble. You tried to tell her from the best of your memory... her Shadow berated Zero for hiding things, for stalking her, and for using her friends.

_I __hate__ you for that!_

After she screamed things she hated about him, his Persona beheaded her Shadow.

Alice gasped. "Sh-she, I mean, I," she panicked. "And all this time, I never even apologized... how horrible..."

You remembered Zero's last words: she should regret nothing. You didn't believe she really hated Zero, but you wanted her to know that the Shadow's overreaction was caused by something rooted in her. You didn't know what it was, but she had to realize what her Shadow was talking about before Zero can believe anything she tells him. What the Shadow said had some truth in it, and she had to accept that.

She faced the ground. "Zero... he's... he's really distant. I don't ever know what he's thinking. And I kind of thought he was scary at first... I guess I was just frustrated..." she shook her head. "I need to talk to him about it... can you still contact him? I'm sorry to ask this, but I don't think he'll talk to me..."

He didn't have any animosity toward you, and you figured you could give her once chance. You asked her to think over her words carefully, and you would bring her to Zero after work on Thursday.

She nodded. "Thank you so much."

-.

The sun was setting faster as the year progressed; though the sky had yet to shift in color, the sun was at an angle that Thursday evening so that the light had cast a large shadow to the east side of the hospital. You told Alice to wait behind the west side of the building, while Zero would wait by the south side. The man was calm when he saw you, but when you led him to Alice, his expression grew bitter.

"What?" he said as Alice stared at him. "I hope you're not here to apologize."

She was too scared to talk, but you told Zero to hear her out. You could sense he was unwilling to hear any more, but he trusted you enough to obey your command. You looked back at Alice and hoped she would be less intimidated with you around. She looked back at you, then to Zero, and then to the ground before she started.

"My Shadow... it said some things I wish I could take back," she said.

"Don't lie about it," he snapped. "If you want me to leave you alone-"

"It's not like that!"

He stopped, and she continued.

"I just mean... the way she said it, and the way you took it... those were wrong. I can't hide anything anymore, because of her, so," her speech was jumbled and she was nervous, "I think, all she meant was... I don't understand you. And even now, you ignored me without saying anything. How could you think I was okay with that...?"

She lifted her head and tried to look at Zero's face. You could see the anger she had built up inside before. She didn't yell; it was more of an angry plead.

"I don't want you to keep secrets from me," she continued, "I know you say one thing and mean another thing. And I... I do hate when you do that to me."

The words were similar to the bitter memory; yet coming from the real Alice, they had a different feeling to them. She was more rational, and instead of only seeing her dark side, you and Zero could see all of her personality.

"But I could never hate you forever! I sometimes get mad at you, and I don't always say it," she looked at the ground again, "but I don't think you're a bad person."

She looked up as a shadow loomed over her. Zero had stood closer.

"Souji," Zero said loudly, surprising you and Alice. Until then, you weren't sure they remembered you were standing there. "I think your job is done."

He clearly wanted you to leave them alone. Alice looked back and smiled at you briefly. In the second that the two of them looked in your eyes, you could feel their gratitude; upon trying to help them, your relationship with both Alice and Zero grew stronger.

You awkwardly waved goodbye and left.

-.

As you took a detour through the park to get home, you could sense that someone was following you. Someone you knew rather well, so it was no surprise when she finally spoke.

"I don't know what you did, Souji, but good job."

Devil Zukin landed at your side, descending from a nearby tree. You assumed she had been hopping from tree to tree; that would've explained the faint rustling noises you heard on your walk, despite the lack of a good breeze. Was she referring to Zero and Alice? You told her you didn't do much; once Alice knew what her Shadow said, she was able to think about it. It was a matter of having her explain to Zero what she was hiding.

"You understand the thoughts of a Shadow better than any of us," she noted. "Alice likely needed the encouragement to become one with her Shadow, rather than shun its words as she probably would've otherwise. And now, the couple is back together"

Yeah... what, _what?_

"Well, they are a work in progress," she clarified. "I believe Zero has feelings for Alice, and so I have been trying to bring them together. It was going well... until that incident."

The journey in the TV world wasn't as bad as she made it sound. It proved that the two of them were keeping secrets from each other. Sometimes, it's beneficial for things like that to happen so they could fix their issues in the real world.

You thought back to what she was saying about them. You had grown close to Alice, and all that time you spent with her meant nothing...?

Zukin smiled sadly. "I'm sorry, then. To have your love lost to another is never a pleasant feeling. But if you truly love her, I cannot talk you out of it."

Well... you weren't seriously in love with a sweet, pretty girl you only talked to on occasion. She was nearly perfect, but you had to accept that you would have competition for a girl like her. And besides, you knew you weren't going to be in New York forever, and the two of you were probably going to have to say goodbye before you were in different countries. You would be better off knowing there was no future for the two of you...

You froze, realizing that you said most of this out loud.

"Then there is hope for you," Zukin said, putting her gloved hands on your shoulders. She stared into your eyes blankly, but she sounded melancholy. "I wish you the best of luck in finding the one you love."

Her lack of cheer made you unsure if you were supposed to smile, but you did anyway. It amused you that a creature given the name Devil Zukin was attempting to sympathize with you; you couldn't believe that she was really evil inside.

Your smile spread back to her. Her gloomy eyes softened and seemed to glow from the light of the sunset. Your relationship with her seemed to grow stronger...

You told her you had to get going, and she let go of you.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said.

Right; tomorrow would be Friday, and everybody would be there that week.

* * *

(And so, they made up without making out. Believe whatever you want happened after you left; I just think I promised I would not write any make out scenes. And I don't like writing them to begin with, to be honest, lolz. And, really, I don't want Zero and Alice to be romantic in this story; I'm just writing for the dramaaaaa and plot.)


	36. Chapter 36

(Because I'm fusing two chapters, I'm back to totally not being ahead at all xP)

* * *

You said goodbye to your roommates before you left for the arcade.

"Hey, Souji?"

Huh? It seemed that Robert had stopped you.

"Do you think I could go with you this time? I... kinda wanted to play some DDR again."

Of course he could come! You were happy that he decided to get out and have some fun that Friday. You two said goodbye to the other boys before heading out the door.

-.

You led Robert to Emi and the others at the arcade. It seemed Emi had brought a very full backpack that evening.

"Hiya!" she said to you. "I've got some stuff for you!"

Stuff? She gave you her bag; once you grabbed hold of it, you nearly dropped it due to its weight. Once you realized it was filled, you regained your balance and asked her what was inside.

"Oh, duh, I should've told you. I finished unlocking everything on DDR X, so you can borrow it now. My DDR games and stuff is all in there. And here," she paused to get another large plastic bag from underneath the table, "is my DDR mat." She pushed it in your direction, but Robert butted in.

"I'll help you get this back to the dorm," he offered.

You thanked him for that, and you thanked Emi for the games.

"Oh, it's good to see you back, too!" Emi exclaimed to your friend. "Do you wanna play DDR with me next?"

"Sure, that sounds like fun."

"Yay! Let's go wait in line, then."

She hopped out of her seat, and they walked to wait behind the dancers. At the time, Zero and Alice were on the machine. They were both playing on the same level, but it didn't seem like either one of them was having much of a challenge.

"Souji," Rage called over the music. When you gave him your attention, he motioned you to follow him. You had no idea what he was going to do; he seemed a little stressed, but you figured he wasn't angry at you. You stood up, and he had you walk to a set of vending machines, far enough so that you couldn't see the DDR machine.

"Zukin tells me you were the one to get Zero back," he started. _Was_ he mad at you...?

"No, I mean, you probably had good intentions and all," he started, "but I kinda wish you hadn't. I mean, I like Alice, who doesn't? And uh... you could say I like Zero, I guess. I just don't like how he's... he _is_ creepy, yanno? I woulda told the guy that Alice's Shadow nailed him perfectly; it's a good thing you handled it, though."

Technically, Alice did most of the work...

"Yeah, but that's the problem; she's too nice about everything. But I hope if she learned anything from her Shadow, it was that she needs to stop people from pushing her around."

Then why doesn't he tell her that?

"'Cause that pretty boy hasn't left her alone," he grumbled. "At least not since she got here today."

You would find some way to separate the two for a little bit, if that made him feel any better.

"Ah, wouldja? That'd be great."

After your conversation with Rage, you made your way back behind Emi and Robert, whose turn came seconds after you returned to the machine. The pair traded places with Zero and Alice, while you and Rage confronted them. Unsure of what to say, you gave him a belated welcome back to the arcade.

He shrugged. "I don't come here every week as it is, and I was only gone once."

But you did see him every week since you got there.

"You're observant, aren't you?" He smirked, but you sensed be was a bit annoyed. He began to walk away from you; he looked behind you, noticed something, and then turned around, leaving you. You looked behind you and saw Rage talking to Alice; whatever he was saying, it was going well.

The second song between Emi and Robert began. You thought you recognized it from before. You walked to Robert's side to get a better look at the stepchart, and discovered that you even remembered the video. That guy picked Paranoia Hades again! Surely, he knew Emi didn't usually play boss songs. She had a hard time playing the song on Difficult. You frowned, not liking to see her struggle. You wanted to scold your friend a little after they were done.

The last song appeared to be Emi's choice. She chose some unison of a Japanese song with English lyrics... was it A Geisha's Dream? Someone had played it before; you weren't sure how long ago. Emi played on Difficult with her usual joy, while Robert was aiming to get a good score on Expert. Even so, he wasn't as tense as he was the first time you brought him. He tried swinging his arms a little more, and his face held less stress and more determination than last time.

Once the song ended, the two were awarded with different As (A and AAA). Emi happily told Robert something that you couldn't hear over the machine before they got off the stage. You waved to get his attention, and he came to you with a rare smile on his face. He noticed you were giving him teasing look and he started to chuckle.

"What's the matter?" he asked. "Did I do something wrong?"

You asked him why he picked Hades when he was against Emi. Come to think of it, he played it the last time he was at the arcade... was it just his favorite song?

"Nah," he said, "I got it on Random several weeks ago, and I got it on Roulette this time. Guess I just have bad luck like that."

Well, at least he could pass it. Emi had ended the stage with an E, after all. You him to just pick a different song next time.

"Sorry, I hardly remember DDR's songs." He smiled apologetically. "I should probably just make everybody else pick what they like."

"You just need to play more," Emi came in. "Then you can learn the list and pick your favorites."

"Maybe," he told her. "After finals and stuff, is it all right if I keep coming here?"

"You better keep coming here," Rage said. He and Alice joined your conversation. "It's cool having another guy to challenge in hard songs."

"You need to get better at your rhythm," Gus joined. "You're not gonna beat him _or_ me unless you stop screwing around when you play."

The crowd had formed around you as you all continued to debate Rage's dance skills among several other topics. Even Devil Zukin came back on her own, after going outside during the Hades round. You were surrounded by your new friends, and you could tell that bringing Robert here was good for the both of you.

-.

You held back from hooking up the Playstation until after work on Saturday. When you opened your dorm's door, you immediately heard Aaron sigh of relief.

"Souji, dude, you gotta help me study!"

What? But you were about to... wait, why wasn't he studying with Robert?

"The dude went home to see his dad. I think he gave up on me. C'mon, man, I really need help with English. You can help, right?"

... English was your second language.

"Oh, well, it's like, they want me to read this novel and write a report on it and you just need to help me start it. It's something like this chick is traveling and meets this guy but he's not human he's like a legend or something and she goes back in time and uh..."

_...What?_

"So what's that about? What's the theme?"

You had no idea.

"That's what I put in my paper! Okay, as long as we agree..."

You grimaced while he wasn't looking. You offered to help him on something more technical, like math or science, but something that required a lot of research was out of the question.

"Awesome, let's go to the algebra books."

You were afraid of what you got yourself into...

-.

You wound up trying to explain matrix equations until long after the sun went down, but fortunately for you on Sunday, he left you alone to finish that... likely hopeless paper of his. You vowed to catch up on some homework yourself (it was raining, and you enjoyed trying to study to its soothing sound), but the evening was reserved for playing DDR.

And what an evening it was.

After you plugged the console into the wall outlet and your television, you sorted through the other materials Emi gave you. You found one black memory card and plugged it in the port labeled Slot A, and then you had to decide on what game to play. Max? Extreme? SuperNOVA? You noted that everything was Japanese; she must have bought this Playstation when she was in Japan.

You randomly selected Max and simply went down the list of things that Emi had unlocked. You were destroyed by the speed of Max 300, but you heard many songs that you didn't find on the X machine at the arcade. Perhaps they were there, but you hadn't bothered to look for them. You mentally noted to find your favorites when you got back to the arcade. But your list of favorites grew too long to remember when you got to the end of the songlist on SuperNOVA, multiple games later...

"Yo, Souji, are you going to sleep any time soon?"

Steve had knocked on your door at the end of Seduction. You stubbornly finished the song before you looked at the clock. Let's see, you started at around 9:30 and it was... almost midnight? You quickly opened your door to see your roommate there, and you apologized for keeping everyone up.

"Nah, we're awake over here," he said. "I mean, I don't know what Aaron's up to, but his light is on. And I guess Rob decided to stay at his dad's. I was just thinking about going to sleep; I thought it was weird for you to stay up so late. You and Rob are more of the studious type." He laughed.

"Anyway, seeya around tomorrow," he said, waving before he went back to his room.

It was definitely time for you to shut the game off. You exited to the main menu and saved the game (not that there was much to save; Emi's scores were usually better than yours and all the songs were unlocked). You put SuperNOVA back into its original case and neatly put the games back into Emi's bag. You left the Playstation hooked up so you could play more tomorrow. You turned off the light, wanting to rest your tired body...

And then you saw static on your television.

What was going on? You were sure you were still awake...

Your screen whirred and powered itself on. It seemed like the camera was in some sort of high-tech factory. The camera panned across an assembly line entirely controlled by robots. At the end was a feminine figure in a lab coat. You weren't sure if you were supposed to recognize her... until you saw her white hat.

You immediately knew that Emi was in the television.

The blue-haired girl quickly turned to face the screen. She had a pair of large goggles on, but there was no mistaking her hair and hat..

"At last!" she said. "At last, I've created my greatest machine! If my theories are correct, this thing can prevent time from moving forward. Nothing bad will ever have to come to an end ever again! Just give me some time to power up this big guy, and I will stop time forever and ever and ever!"

She rubbed her hands excitedly. "Soon, the word 'soon' itself won't mean anything. This waiting and uncertainty will be over!"

The screen faded to black.

You stood there, lost in confusion. You were just as surprised to see Emi as you were to see the channel itself. You shook your head, trying to calm yourself. Unsure who was awake, you decided to wait until morning before contacting everyone...

-.

"Souji, glad to see you here."

Rage was the first to say something when you arrived at Yuni's mansion in the afternoon. You arrived before both Alice and Zero; Rage, and the mansion's three residents were already there.

"So you really saw the channel this time?" Yuni asked, knowing this because she was the one who called you before school. Rage looked at her and then you, confused.

Before he could ask the same question, you explained that you really did see Emi's broadcast. You briefly described what had aired to confirm if they had all seen the same thing.

"I still haven't seen it," Akira said.

"But that's exactly what I saw," Rage told you. "You can totally see the Midnight Channel! Why now?"

What was different this time? As far as your television was concerned, the only real difference was hooking up the Playstation to it. You weren't sure if there was some more supernatural factor you were missing...

Devil Zukin's ears twitched, as if something alerted her. "Rage-sama... do you have a game system connected to your television?"

"Huh? Yeah, I use it to play DDR."

"That's weird," Yuni butted in. "I've got a DDR game in mine, too. But Zukin has my mat and my other game."

And... your DDR game was left in your Playstation as well.

"Akira, don't you play shooter games on your Playstation?"

"I do," he said. "My game system hasn't been touched much recently. Still, it seems that everyone who can see the Midnight Channel has a DDR game connected to their television."

What could that possibly mean? Did the game have something to do with the TV world? Maybe... the world wasn't created like in Inaba... were the victims being trapped in the game?

"It is more than that."

The room turned to Devil Zukin.

"I can sense it isn't so much a game as it is the music that's controlling the world. Ouze's ears can detect an evil song in the other world. I would usually get a strange feeling from this... sound, but I still can't put it into words. Detecting is sort of like a sixth sense."

"That's really weird," Rage noted. "Not that I don't believe you, it's just... it doesn't make sense to me."

You heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," Yuni shouted.

The door clicked open to reveal Zero.

"Yo," Rage greeted. "You caught us in the middle of some theories. Mind pitching in?"

"Mind catching me up?" he demanded.

Saving Emi's channel for later, you told Zero about how you all determined that the DDR games activate the Midnight Channel. You paused and asked if he had a DDR game.

"I don't own a game console, so that would be unwise."

You continued saying that once you had Emi's DDR game, you were able to watch the channel. No one could figure out what this meant, however; besides that Zukin believed it to be the world of an evil song.

"So what you're saying is... we're dealing with something that isn't human."

At this point, that was very likely.

"I've suspected that ever since you forced me into this group."

He actually _asked_ to be-

"When Alice disappeared instantly and when we weren't able to find the culprit in the television, it wasn't logical. There were some other powers at work."

"Yeah, I think everybody kinda disappeared like that," Rage commented. "Everybody was taken when they were completely alone. Yuni didn't see anybody when she was hiding in the mall, and nobody saw anyone kidnap her. That's what's weird... _nobody's_ seen this guy. He just comes and goes."

And, as it seemed, without any television. How could he have kidnapped Yuni in a mall without any witnesses and without some sort of portal?

"We don't have any way to explain that yet," Zukin said aloud. "Perhaps we will figure that out once we rescue Emi."

"Right," Rage said. "But we gotta wait for Alice to-"

There was another knock on the door. Yuni instructed the visitor to come in again, and Alice shyly opened the door.

"Hi, guys," she said.

You all waved to her before you tried to condense the conversation you just had without her. She nodded as she tried to follow your story.

"Um, as far as the Midnight Channel goes... I don't have DDR either and I couldn't see it, so that's right so far. What was on last night?"

You told those who hadn't seen it what happened on Emi's channel.

"Why would she want to stop time?" Akira asked.

"Doesn't matter right now," Rage yelled. "Now that everyone's here, we gotta go in and get Emi!"

You nodded.

"Before we go in," Zukin began, "Alice, you will need these glasses."

"Does she need a weapon?" Zero asked.

"We picked out this neat fan," Rage answered. "Souji was telling me about how that one girl used a fan. I thought it sounded crazy, but it turns out they did have a couple neat fans with blades on 'em." Zukin gave Alice a pair of red glasses and a sturdy oriental fan-shaped weapon.

"I've never used one of these before," Alice said, fearfully looking at the deadly blades on the fan's tips.

Yuni took a look at it. "It's probably not that hard," she said, swiping the fan from Alice's hands. She swung it around in careless loops, making Akira nervous, and she fanned herself. "It's really light. Just don't poke yourself." She returned the weapon back to Alice before you led everyone into the television...

-.

You rolled on the ground, followed by Devil Zukin. Rage tumbled in afterward and crawled out of the way of Akira. Yuni leaped in, then Zero (who slid again; perhaps he still wasn't used to armored shoes), and lastly Alice who successfully tumbled on the ground as if it was a dance move. She stood up and quickly fixed her hair so that it neatly fell on her back.

"All right, Zukin," Rage said, "you and whatsherface can lead the way."

Zukin smirked at his lazy memory, and Ouze materialized to assist her in finding Emi. The two of them focused their powers together. Ouze calmly held onto Zukin's head, but the bat girl's lip began to quiver. She gasped, and her Persona faded in smoke.

"Something wrong?" Akira questioned.

"... Ouze was able to find her," she answered, "but something else is there." She sounded worried.

"Are you afraid of it?" Alice asked, concerned.

"There's nothing to be scared of," Rage tried to console her. "I don't know how bad it is, but we're all together. We have way more than enough power to take on something big." He began to walk toward her. "So lead the way."

"All right," she said, waiting for Rage to be a bit closer before she ran off in what you assumed was Emi's direction.

-.

The large, futuristic silver building was isolated in an empty yard, guarded by a very distant fence and trees. Besides being coated in a layer of shiny paint, the building didn't look very unique from the outside. It was made of rectangles and could pass for the shape of a warehouse. Had you not seen the factory on TV, you would've had no idea what to expect on the Zukin made it to the entrance, she waited for you. You took the lead from her and pulled open one of the double doors at the front, slowly walking in and giving everyone time to catch up with you.

The lights were on; quite similar to the television program, the room was filled with machines that were operated by computers. The computers were also operated by short, humanlike robots. The room was large and overwhelming; it seemed there were many pathways between computers and conveyor belts. You scanned the room, unsure of where to go.

"So where to?" Rage asked in his normally loud voice.

The room ceased production, and the operator robots faced your group. You all gulped fearfully.

"INTRUDER. INTRUDER."

The electronic voice repeated itself endlessly and the room's lights flashed red. The little robots' arms shifted to guns.

"Crap!"

"Way to go," Yuni said, "blowing our cover."

"Get ready!" Akira said.

_PERSONA!_

* * *

(Yes, suffer from cliffhangers much like I am with Tiger and Bunny lolz)_  
_


	37. Chapter 37

(This is not as far as I wanted to get... but I've been busy and my goal was 3,000 words and I juuust barely made it, so... I regret only revising this once; I kept thinking I had more time to write it xP)

* * *

"Benkei!"

"Lu-yan!"

"Tsutomu!"

"Maion!"

"Hael!"

… this was chaos. You had no idea which Persona to summon when there were already five on the loose. Unwilling to think about it, you decided to take on the small bots with your trusty sword. It worked well, but your enemies possessed machine guns at each arm. You took out three of them standing next to each other before they began to shoot you in the side. The bullets were too weak to break through your skin, but they hurt immensely.

"Protect yourself," Zukin advised, "that attack is of the physical element."

Struggling to get your mind together, you remembered your Chariot partner, Futsunushi. Your right arm gripped onto your sword as you tried to guard your face, while your left arm summoned the demon's card. You closed your eyes to concentrate through the noise and pain. After a surge of power left you weak, you immediately felt the relief of your Persona's ability to block all physical attacks. You opened your eyes and saw his swords flying in all directions; the Persona knew not to hit you while he skillfully blocked all the shots. You took full advantage of his guarding power and sliced the heads and arms off of the small soldiers that continued to mindlessly shoot at you. You periodically looked around in the small amount of time the fight took, trying to note how your teammates were doing.

Zero and Zukin remained in the back, both of them looking as if they were lost in their Personas' thoughts. Yuni had apparently long disappeared into a distant corner that no one else had been able to navigate to, and you assumed Akira had followed because you couldn't find him, either. Alice's Persona was also casting spells; it seemed she was able to use Garu powers to blow the enemies away from her. And Rage...

"BURN!"

You didn't even need to look; you could see a bright fire's light every minute or so as the temperature skyrocketed. He seemed to have taken his own side of the room as well, somewhere far from everyone else.

You continued to hack away; the robots were weak, but their numbers were endless. You didn't know how the battle was going to end until you heard Zukin's voice.

"There is a door!" she yelled. "In the very back, there is a sensor for a card key. You must find the card to open it."

"This thing?" Rage yelled.

You looked at him, obviously not fearing the bullets that were constantly shooting in your direction with your Persona at your side. Rage ran to Zukin while Benkei followed him, trying to lightly char some of the flying bullets before they could hit his partner. Ouze faded while Zukin took at look at Rage. He was apparently holding a card in the air, and Zukin directed him to the back of the room.

Having faith that Rage had found the right card, you yelled at the rest of your team to head to follow Benkei's fire to the back. Benkei continued to send small Agi blasts that made him the easiest Persona in the room to find.

When you saw Zukin and Rage next to the far wall, she was directing him to the small reader to the right. Futsunushi was able to guard all of you while the room's lights continued to flash and the robots continued to fire at your Persona (they really never learned that it had no effect). After the card reader beeped, a secret metallic door that was previously camouflaged with the wall slowly slid open to the left. By then, it was unnecessary for Benkei to keep signaling, and he faded. Your Persona continued to combat the robots' shots until everyone found the door. Alice, Yuni, Akira, and Zero ran through the battlefield before you finally went through the door. Zukin hit a button on the other side, allowing it to close. Fortunately, the absent-minded robots didn't bother to follow you.

When the door finally closed, the sounds from the other room became quiet. The most prevalent sounds were the deep exhales coming from your exhausted comrades. You declared that everyone should take a quick break.

"Good idea," Rage said.

"Is everyone all right?" Akira asked.

He received several "mhmms" in response.

You felt a warm, soothing feeling radiate through your body. Everyone else looked confused, except for Zero. You figured this was his and Maion's doing. Had he developed the ability to use Mediarama yet?

After asking him, he simply nodded.

"That was your Persona?" Alice asked. "He can heal?"

"Yeah, that's what he's good at," Rage answered for him. "By the way, how are you doing with your Persona?"

"Oh, Hael's really helpful. She does wind spells and she sort of... shows me the power of each one. That doesn't make a lot of sense to say..."

"It's okay," Yuni told her, "a lot of this stuff is just instinct. If you can't put it into words, it just means you're doing it right."

She was right.

While they continued to converse about their Personas, you decided that, if Emi's dungeon ever turned into a maze like the others, you wanted to split the seven of you into two groups. You would lead one, but who would lead the other? Ouze had the ability to read enemies, while you had enough experience to work on your own. Zukin would be on the other team, for starters. Alice had the least experience, so you wanted to keep an eye on her and help her if you needed to. Zero was still developing his healing powers... should he be on your team? Rage and Akira worked well together, and Akira and Yuni worked well... but you were hesitant to put them all on one team without you. You wondered if you could take the girls on your team, as Zero would likely need to be on the opposite team to heal; you knew you had your own healing Personas if you needed them.

You proposed, then, that you would team with Alice and Yuni, while the others would be on their own team.

"You're leaving Zukin alone with three guys?" Yuni said. "Akira, you better help her out."

The tall man nodded. "I guess this works out for the best. Take care of the girls, Souji."

There was something about Akira... perhaps you weren't given many opportunities to talk with him, but he seemed to have the least amount of trust in you. You couldn't blame him; your lack of a strong bond made him distant to you as well. Still, he was level-headed enough to be on the other team, and you felt he would be of great help; perhaps he would even make a good leader.

After everyone was ready to go, you paced your way down the hallway until you found a room with stairs leading to the next level. The next room had conveyor belts to the east and west sides, but it was mostly empty in the middle.

"_All this computer junk is boring!_"

The girl sounded very young... was this Emi from years ago?

"_Think about your future. You're so good with electronics, and if you knew how to use computers, you could be very rich some day!_"

"_But I don't want to make money some day doing computers... I want to get more into music._"

"Was that Emi's father?" Alice asked. "Is he..."

They were the sounds of Emi's memories, likely having something to do with what she's hiding and what makes her Shadow's personality. Alice listened to your explanation, but you could tell she didn't quite get it. It wasn't necessary for anyone to understand, so you decided to move on. You saw a large opened doorway several feet away from you. Despite knowing that this wouldn't be that easy, you ran toward the door with Alice and Yuni closely behind you, holding onto the faint hope that maybe there was nothing to this area.

A siren began to blare across the room as the large door, much like the one on the first floor, began to slide shut. You sprinted for a moment before realizing you would never reach it in time, so you skidded to a halt.

"WARNING. INTRUDERS HAVE REACHED LEVEL 2. PREPARE DEFENSE MECHANISMS."

The room vibrated, and two large panels opened up from the floor. Two giant robots, much like the supersized mechas you used to fight in the first world, rose from the floor. They each pulled out a large sword; one was left handed and the other was right. Now was the time for the two of you to split up; you led your team to the one to your right, and the others ran in the opposite direction.

Believing the machine was elementless, you summoned Futsunushi. Alice and Yuni called their own Personas behind you. Tsutomu darted in front and took the first punch to the robot's head. The robot tilted backward, but it regained its balance shortly afterward. It lifted its sword for a quick swing headed for the ninja girl; your Persona protected her with all of his swords.

If the machine was anything like the ones in Inaba, the only thing more fearsome than its physical power was its massive stamina. You would be there for hours if you couldn't find a weak point. You mentally vowed to knock the monster over and perform an all-out attack; to do this, you would need Hael to blow him off balance so that Futsunushi and Tsutomu could push his heavy body onto the ground.

"Huh? Blow him... with Garula?"

If that's what she knew, it would work. Any wind spell would probably do. She nodded and silently communicated with Hael. The feminine Persona raised her arms and pushed a wind in the massive soldier's direction. As soon as it began to stumble, Tsutomu kicked it high, and she leaped away from his face so that Futsunushi could form his swords into a needle that pierced the robot's head (it didn't penetrate the armor, but the it made a powerful impact). The combined forces were enough to cause the enemy to fall like a giant domino. It struggled to get up, but its position was so unusual that the robot couldn't figure out how rise again.

Excitedly, you commanded your team to hit the robot with everything they've got!

Yuni was the first to jump onto the middle of the robot's body and jam spiked punches into its chest. Alice timidly skipped to one of the legs and began awkwardly slicing away at the metal. The more she tried, the more she elegant her swipes were; before anyone knew it, it was like she was dancing with her fan. You wanted to get to his neck, hoping to sever some sort of wire that controlled the rest of its body. A dust cloud enveloped your group for about a minute of harsh pummeling before the robot shoved Yuni off.

At this time, Akira or someone would probably panic, but they must've all been busy handling the other machine. The robot also swung its leg to the side; it couldn't stretch far at that angle, but it was enough to hit Alice, making you a bit worried for her. You knew that the Persona in her soul had enough power to keep her safe, so you kept hacking at the neck until you noticed the shadow of a sword heading your direction. The robot had lifted its right arm and began to jam it into the ground; you ran for your life before it dug into the floor.

The machine had turned onto its stomach; Tsutomu came back and refused to give up as long as she still had strength left. She jumped onto its back and attempted to stomp the machine into the ground with her clawed toes. She would fail if she was alone; Futsunushi aided by digging swords into the enemy's shoulder blades. Hael levitated above and sent a fierce wind to push everyone downward; unfortunately, that included Tsutomu and Futsunushi. Luckily, their weight aided in the attack by knocking the machine off all fours and causing it to fall flat onto its stomach.

You all took the opportunity to pile onto the robot, this time with your Personas on top. Your arms were aching from the heavy sword, but you didn't want to drag the battle on longer than you needed to. You mentally allowed your Persona to go all-out with intense physical attacks, draining your health (knowing either you or Zero would be able to restore your wasted stamina later). Tsutomu saw your warrior's harsh moves and decided to try her own, though instead of using single blows to the enemy, she liked moves with multiple, quick attacks. Her speed was her strongest point, after all.

"You're still fighting this thing?"

You heard Rage's voice. The others were coming in your direction.

"Everybody stand back, Akira's got this."

You weren't entirely sure if it was a good idea, but you and the others fled from the battle as Rage instructed.

"Ziodyne!"

Electricity shot through and around the robot you were fighting. Anyone within a foot of the robot would've been harshly electrocuted; you were thankful Akira knew what he was doing with that move. Surely enough, the robot faded into Shadow dust. Yuni walked into the floating debris and found a card that the robot left behind. You thanked Akira for his help.

"It was no problem. Once Zukin learned its weakness, our soldier was defeated easily."

"Your spirit power is rather low, Akira," Zukin warned. "I certainly hope that not all the robots have the same strengths and weaknesses. We must take the cards and open the next door."

Zero flashed a card he pulled from his sleeve. He and Yuni led the way to the back of the room, and they each slid the cards across readers on the opposite sides of the door (they assumed the right robot provided the card for the right reader and vice versa). It worked, and the door was opening yet again. Zero grabbed your shirt collar before you could hastily run into the hallway; he put his hand on your head, and Maion healed you.

"You should be a more strategic leader than that," he joked.

Right... the attacks Futsunushi used had taken a toll on your health. You asked him to help Yuni as well. He did the same to her; he and Maion placed their right hands on her blonde head, and you assumed he was able to heal her. She thanked him... and t_hen_ you were able to move forward.

You made it to the top of the next set of stairs. Instead of instantly being brought to another large room, you were in a hallway with a shining exit. That was quite a short dungeon.

_"Look at this test! You never received a C before!"_

_"I'm sorry! I'll do better next time... I'll study harder!"_

This was more recent; she sounded like a teenager.

_"If you didn't spend so much time playing video games..."_

_"DDR is good for me! It keeps me active, and it's the _one_ time I get to see all my good friends!"_

_"I know you're working at the store sometimes, but you go to the arcade too often for your own good."_

_"What do you know about what's good for me?"_

You heard a small cry. Evidently, everyone did, because everyone was looking at its source: Devil Zukin.

"That evil," she muttered, "it is on... the other side." She tightly gripped her stomach, trying to stop herself from shaking. What was so evil about Emi's Shadow as opposed to everyone else's?

"I... I don't know," she said unsteadily. "I can't... move on. N-not with..."

"C'mon, Zukin," Rage began. "There's nothing to be afraid of." He grabbed her shoulder and pulled her a little, but she wouldn't budge.

"You don't have these irrational senses... you have... no idea..."

"Fine, _stay here_."

You were all a bit surprised.

"Rage!" Yuni yelled. "Be a little more-"

"I'll stay with you."

You were all _more_ surprised.

"I'm no good on teams, anyway. I'll stay here, while Souji leads those guys to whatever's behind that door."

Was he really willing to stay behind like that? Alone with the girl that was trying to divide Rage and Emi apart? You decided not to ask; you believed Rage meant what he said. You asked if everyone was ready to go on; they had just recovered from a fight, and there was time to turn back if they needed to.

"Nah, I'm still going strong," Yuni said. "Emi's our friend, and we gotta get her out of there ASAP."

Akira chuckled. "Don't worry about us. We're all worried about the girl behind that door."

You nodded, and you opened the door, closing it after everyone was on the other side.

You didn't see Emi or her Shadow.

You saw someone else.


	38. Chapter 38

(First, I should reiterate to Persona fans that pretty much nothing I make up in here is DDR canon. Second, sorry for it being late, and next week's will probably be late, too. Third uh... I... am just sorry for this chapter. It should be rewritten like three more times. xP)

* * *

You were in another room filled with machines. that lined the wall and left the middle of the room empty. Instead of looking like a factory with conveyor belts and worker robots, the room only had several computers that may have been linked together like a supercomputer. The machines left a shell-shaped area open where a person stood, facing the wall.

Yuni pointed ahead at him. "Hey! You're that... that one kid! From the arcade!"

The boy standing several feet away -having near-black hair, glasses, and a sweater- was Robert. What was he doing there?

He turned in your direction and acknowledged your group, but he didn't respond.

Yuni was bitter from his silence, but she was soon concerned. His face looked somber. "Yo? Are you okay?"

"How did you get in here?" Akira asked him.

"I," your friend began, hanging his head a bit to avoid eye contact, "I took Emi in here."

Everyone was shocked.

"No way," Yuni began, "all this time, it was really-"

"I did it to protect her!" Robert shouted. "After the things I heard that happened to all of you... I thought... I don't know what I thought..."

"You heard about this place, and you still took her here?" Zero berated him.

"I had to make sure she was okay," he argued, panicking. "I owe it... to Erika..."

Who?

… that had to be Emi's friend.

"I was given this power, and I have to use it." He looked at his hands before he curled them into fists. "I have to be stronger so I can stop people from dying... no one else can be killed in this world as long as-" he screamed, holding his head.

You led the others closer to him, and you asked him what was wrong.

"My power... it... I can't... control..."

What kind of power did he have? Was he the evil person that Devil Zukin could sense? What could you do to help him...?

You heard a whirring sound...

"Get... away..."

You thought his Shadow was forming, but you couldn't sense anything like it. It was as if you could hear a pulsing, rhythmic beat, quickly increasing in speed. The faster it got, the more you wanted to run away. Your instincts told you to direct the others to the back of the room, despite your worry of your friend's safety.

_AGH!_

Large, thick wires from the machinery shot out from behind him and _into _his back. He screamed after the first one, and he fell limp before another four dug their way into his body. Your eyes widened as you watched the wires bulge and shrink, looking like they drained the life from him. You furiously grabbed your sword and began to charge to one of the wires, hoping to cut it, but another thick cord whipped you in your right shoulder, knocking you onto your side.

"Ah! Souji!"

It sounded like Alice, but you didn't look back. You stamped your sword into the ground for support as you rose again, trying to get to the living cords.

What was he, really?

_"What am I?"_

You skidded to a halt. It wasn't Robert's voice at all; his lips didn't even move.

_"What do I sound like to you?"_

His voice sounded distorted, but you could tell that it wasn't what he was talking about. The beating remained at a constant speed, at a familiar suspenseful rhythm you felt you had heard before.

With one huge pulse from the draining cords, Robert faded into Shadow-like dust. The girls behind you screamed; you gasped to yourself, afraid that he was either gone or consumed by the monster. The lights from the computers in the room turned red, giving the entire room a crimson hue.

In Robert's place was a hairless humanoid being with pure black eyes and red cracked skin. He had black claws and was wearing a dark, old-looking robe. He was tall and slender, like he was starved beneath the oversized cloak.

"I... am Paranoia Hades!"

He's... named after a song? No... he _is _the song? You could hear bits and pieces of the synthesizers and beats in your head. That was that boss song that always seemed to come up when Robert was playing it... had he been Paranoia the entire time? That didn't matter. What could you do to bring him back?

"So, should we start beating him down?" Yuni asked you.

You hesitated to give any commands.

"Souji," Akira called. You gave him your attention. He glared at you with a stern yet determined look.

"I know your friend was just there, but the only way to do that is to beat this monster. We're all here to help if you'll still be our leader."

You thought about it, and then you nodded. You pulled Futsunushi from your soul, and the others called their own Personas.

You wanted to start by slashing at the cords; perhaps if you could disconnect him from the machines, he would be less powerful. Futsunushi struck the wires with his swords; those wires would try to bend and strike him, but he was able to block the attacks. As he did that, you also tried to cut the wires from Paranoia, but it didn't seem like you were doing any damage.

You traded Futsunushi for Loki, hoping that his ice powers would be more effective than the other demon's physical power. You commanded the Persona to use Bufudyne on Paranoia's body. He cringed, but he seemed unaffected after the ice shattered. He was naturally hunched over; it was difficult to tell whether or not anything was doing damage.

As for your team, Tsutomu and Yuni were relying on their physical attacks and only getting as far as Futsunushi did moments before. Akira must've given up on his gun, while Lu-yan was trying to paralyze Paranoia. Hael and Alice were launching winds into the cords, likely trying to disconnect the monster from the wall as you were, but the wires refused to break. They flailed around wildly after each gust of wind. Zero remained in the back, having Maion cast Almighty spells.

It seemed that no matter what everyone was doing, Paranoia himself didn't do much to counter you. Was it because Robert was part of him? You asked the monster what happened to him.

"I don't need him anymore," he replied. "He was my shell; when he finally took me to this world, I was able to manifest into what I am now." He continued to talk while being shot by several attacks from the others. "Outside, I'm just a piece of sound... but in here, I can be stronger! I've taken over the human life that I possessed on the other side and used it to be a living creature myself!"

Did that mean he was gone forever?

"He isn't gone."

That dark feminine voice... you turned to see Devil Zukin and Rage at the doorway.

"I get it now; that evil I sensed in that boy was that song. But I can still tell you that your friend is there. You have to destroy the song before it takes him over entirely!"

Was she all right? Hadn't she been afraid of Paranoia until now?

"I've been listening from the other side. I have a power that can protect others as well; I want to use it to save everyone."

"I'm back, too, if you need me," Rage said.

You smiled. You waited for Zukin to call Ouze. As the slim Persona appeared behind her, you could hear a piano like you tended to whenever Ouze showed up, and a light began to glow from behind the two.

"Stop," Paranoia muttered, cowering in the air, "you're..."

The comment was directed at Zukin, but she didn't reply. She was what?

"Heaven... you're that song of heaven!"

"Huh?" Yuni asked, stopping her failed attacks.

"I won't lose to you," Paranoia said, "I won't let some false hope destroy me!"

"All right," Rage said, "you got some information on him? Just tell me where his weak spot is, and I'll-"

"That won't be necessary, Rage-sama."

"What?"

"He is Paranoia _Hades_. He absorbs fire attacks; his form here is also immune to physical attacks. I am afraid there isn't must you or Yuni can do from here."

"Aww man," the blonde girl said, jogging to the back of the room.

"But he is weak to ice. His defenses are high, but he will be worn out soon enough if you're persistent. Fight him, Souji, and rescue that boy!"

You nodded; you thought about continuing to use Loki for wear him out, but you wondered if anyone could lower his defenses first. You would need a Persona that knew Rakunda; Maion was the one who had the support moves, so you asked Zero if his Persona knew anything about that move.

"What?" he shouted back. He was looked busy, and it didn't seem like he knew what you were talking about.

Suddenly, Tsutomu came from nowhere and dashed toward Paranoia. She dug her claws into his neck; the demon yelled and pushed her off with some sort of pulse from his body.

"She knew what you meant," Yuni said to you. "Have at 'im!"

You focused back on communicating with Loki, and you had him launch a Niflheim attack. Paranoia curled forward as he was frozen in ice; he arched his spine back and stretched his arms to break free from it. The ice shards shattered and melted into mist. The air around him was getting warmer. you could tell without being close simply by the fact that the air began to blur.

"He's charging an attack," Zukin warned. "A large fire attack. Protect yourselves!"

Loki's ability to block fire left you confident; you didn't know what to think of everyone else. You told them to run back and brace themselves. Believing they listened, you remained in place while Loki spread his wings to protect you.

Paranoia emitted six red rings of fire throughout the room. The lightning-fast rings flew as far as the walls and left burn marks on the room, even destroying a few computers in its path. Had you been hit without Null Fire, you would've been doomed for sure. You looked at your teammates; Hael had disappeared. You asked if Alice was all right.

"I'm okay," she said, "I just couldn't concentrate. Please come back, Hael!"

She raised her fan in the air, and her Persona materialized above her. Hael's garments floated as she created her own wind to power herself. She extended her arms, and a ring of light spread through the room. Once it struck you, you felt a small surge of power.

"It's something new," Alice said, "I think she called it Mara...ku...kaja."

That meant she raised all your attacks; you thanked her and continued to strike Paranoia with blasts of ice while Lu-yan's electric powers tried to stun him. Even knowing his weakness, you weren't ever able to stop Paranoia Hades from attacking. His fire skills charred Lu-yan, impairing his ability to attack. As that happened, you saw Tsutomu repeat her Rakunda skill to assist. Paranoia's weak looking hands grabbed her shoulders just after she hit him; his hands combusted and he pushed his ninja foe away with fiery energy. You believed her attack was successful, however, and you tried to freeze him in a block of ice again. Instantly, he performed his ring move to melt the ice; your attack didn't hinder his offensive power in the slightest! You heard someone fall.

"Akira!" Yuni shouted.

Zero would take care of him, you figured; you had to ask Alice to help you.

"I would advise you against that," Zukin said, "much like Benkei, a strong wind could possibly amplify his power."

"Stop helping them!" Paranoia Hades yelled. "I am a devil myself; I can turn you back into the demon you once were."

"You're lying," she muttered.

The heat around Paranoia dissipated, and he raised his claws. A dark, cloudy energy formed around his hands, and the room began to darken.

"He has switched elements," Zukin clarified. "Alice, this is your chance!"

You were concerned about what this energy would do to Zukin if Paranoia was telling the truth, but after Hael's Garudyne, you chose to hurl another wall of frozen crystals in Paranoia's direction. Akira had apparently regained his power, and Lu-yan charged a powerful electric attack.

_"Thunder Reign!"_

An _explosion_ of bright electricity formed next to Paranoia's chest. The static flowed through his body and into the snake-like cords; the wires began to burst from the voltage, and Paranoia fell to the ground. The shock continued to travel through the wires, taking out most of the computers on Paranoia's side of the room. The room's lighting went back to normal, although some of the light bulbs were broken after the last attack. It was a bit dim, but Paranoia's dark powers subsided. Was he defeated? You knew not to jump to conclusions just yet, so you cautiously approached your enemy.

Zukin stepped next to you.

"_What do you mean... I'm the song of heaven?_"

Something was off about her voice.

Paranoia stirred; his head turned and lay sideways on the floor. "I'm not telling you anything."

The bat girl stomped her foot on his head and pressed his face into the ground. "_Tell me._"

"What... could I gain?" he mumbled painfully. "Nothing; I'd rather _die _than report this to the boss."

Zukin growled viciously and kicked him in the stomach, sending him about a foot away. "_You're disgusting._" She walked toward him and kicked his shoulder so that he lay on his back. She put her foot on his stomach. "_You will die here, but you will tell me what you mean, or I will make sure your death will be painful one_." She pressed harder, hindering his ability to breathe.

"Then... maybe I was wrong," he strained. "The demon in you... wasn't sealed at all."

Even if Paranoia was the enemy, you could tell she wasn't acting like herself. You ran to her and told her to calm down. You put a hand on her shoulder and she quickly hissed at you. Persistent, you grabbed her arm; she used her other arm to grab your hand and throw you onto the floor.

"_Don't get in my way,_" she said. Her eyes were brightly glowing red. "_If you do, you will go with him_."

Was she that dangerous? Force wasn't going to get you anywhere; you tried to talk to her. Did she realize what she was doing? You were her teammate, her dance partner, her friend. You didn't know her for long, but you knew that she had her other personality. You believed she could fight her weakness to Paranoia Hades if she remembered why she stopped being a demon.

"_I don't remember anything. I don't know who I am, or what this song of heaven is. All I know is that this monster is holding information from me._" Her eyes shifted back to Paranoia.

What about the people she looked up to? The people important to her? What ever happened to wanting to be more human?

She was silent. Her eyes blinked a few times before her face lost its anger.

"Please forgive me. I remember now... we were here to save your friend." She walked back to Paranoia. This time, he cringed.

"That... that sound," he moaned.

What sound? You didn't actually hear anything.

"Get it... away from me..."

Zukin knelt before him. She tilted her head, likely about as confused as everyone else was.

"You are not that boy. You must give him his life back." Her voice was calm. By that point, you _could_ hear a piano again. It was slow, but it was also something you thought you had heard before.

Paranoia Hades cowered. Shaking, he was engulfed in a blue light.

Once the light faded, Robert was there again.

Everyone raced to the unconscious boy. You asked him if he was awake; he didn't answer.

"We should get him out now," Zero said. "Maion cannot heal his wounds."

"What about Emi?" Rage argued. "She's still in here; are we just gonna leave her behind?"

You didn't think you had much of a choice. Shadows didn't attack quickly, and you believed Emi would be fine when you returned. You asked Zukin if she would be able to take you all back to this place on... Wednesday. You frowned knowing you couldn't come tomorrow.

She nodded. "Rage-sama, you have nothing to fear. We will all save her. Right now, we must save Souji's friend."

Akira effortlessly lifted Robert from the ground. "Let's hurry back."

* * *

(Hades's (or "Hades'?") design was based off of Feardancer's drawing on deviantART. I don't know if he was supposed to be in black and white but I like red better because that's what the video looks like. To clarify what I said earlier, I'm sorry for favoriting Devil Zukin and making up bologna about her; she's just so interesting to me. The point of the last battle is they _did_ have to weaken Paranoia to free Rob, but songs can combat other songs as well, just not so greatly if one song has no idea what she's doing and is plagued by fear of the other. xP And also for making an OC have a significant role. I just couldn't have one of the dancers be the killer; it wouldn't have felt right.  
I swear I fused Sraosha once with one of the support skills, but I'm too lazy to find my file and all the websites said he can't learn it, so blah. Due to Alice's lack of other skills and Yuni's dark skills, they got what they got.)


	39. Chapter 39

(Painfully short... but I have like no motivation to write action this week, and when I write against my will, the writing kind of just sucks... more than usual. :P)

* * *

Outside the television, you all decided to wait and see if Robert would wake up. If Paranoia Hades was the most evil thing that Devil Zukin could sense on the other side, you hoped his defeat would stop future kidnappings; you felt that it was all right to tell Maid Zukin what was going on. She seemed concerned for Robert, as if she was his mother.

"Oh dear," she said, "I hope he and Emi will be all right."

"We're gonna get her," Rage confirmed. "As soon as we're ready to go back, we're gonna save her."

"Is there anything we can do for Robert?" she asked.

You doubted it. You had no idea what was wrong with him, only that he was taken over by a... song. Nothing about that made any sense to you. It was like these kidnappings had some connection to DDR. Was it because each of the victims played the game, and the game was targeting players?

"What order is he going in?" Rage asked, confused.

"Yeah," Yuni said. "And if Paranoia was the kidnapper... or Robert or... whoever, why did he take Erika first? Did he not like her?"

"That's impossible," Devil Zukin said. "The boy said he owed something to her. Her death was... perhaps some sort of mistake?" She definitely wasn't sure of her theory. You wouldn't know unless he could tell you...

"G-guys," Alice muttered quietly, "I think he's waking up."

The group turned to the boy sleeping on the couch. You, Rage, and Yuni eagerly walked up to get a closer look. His eyes looked distressed, but he groaned softly. You tried calling to him.

"Souji," he mumbled. You heard a few sighs of relief behind you.

"Hey, are you okay?" Yuni asked.

"Am I... where am I?"

"You're in my house," she said, a bit more rude than she intended. "But you can stay if you want."

"Wait... what happened? Where's Emi?"

No one wanted to tell him where she was, and that after all he did, you left her there. Still, you took the task upon yourself to explain that she was in the television.

"What? She's stuck in there? We can't just let her-"

"We had to get you out first," Zero stopped him. "Do you know anything about Paranoia Hades?"

Robert paused. "That's... that one song. That boss song from DDR."

It was also the name of the monster you encountered in the other world. Once you told him that, he seemed to know why Zero brought it up.

"Yeah I... well, I kinda know about it. It's just been inside me... or like, it's a part of me. I never asked to have this weird song, it's just like one day it sort of got there. Like I could hear it when there was dead silence. I saw him... the guy who called himself Paranoia Hades, in my dreams. He was always saying that he wanted power, like he needed me to be strong for him. He looked weak to me, but he always looked like a monster at the same time. I was... intimidated by him. He usually wouldn't leave me alone unless I was having a weird dream that didn't make any sense."

"Did these weird dreams ever involve a lady in a purple dress?" Alice asked curiously.

"Uh... sometimes, why?"

"N-no reason, sorry for interrupting."

"Anyway... over the weekend, I was talking to my dad about playing DDR with you guys. He really got angry at me for that. He said that I needed to stop hanging around Emi so much, or he would... he would hurt her. I was afraid of what would happen to her after that. So when I went to sleep, Paranoia told me I had the power to save her. I just had to take her into a television, where Pluto couldn't get to her."

Pluto...?

"I didn't really think about what he was talking about; but I just had to get her. I thought that if I could keep Emi to myself, she would be okay. As long as I could hide her in another world."

"But Paranoia gained power on the other side," Zukin thought aloud, "and so you couldn't remain yourself there."

"Ah, yeah... he said something about you, too."

"What?" She looked desperate for information.

"He said just to stay away from you. He wouldn't tell me why. I guess the less I know, the better for him."

"I see," she mumbled.

He seemed to be done with his story. You asked who Pluto was.

"Pluto? He's... another song. I think... when Paranoia was talking about him, and after what my dad said... I think that song is taking over my dad. When he was talking about Emi, he just said he'd do to her what he did to Erika. I kind of lost it after that... I didn't ask him anything else. I'm not even sure I feel like I was talking to my real dad; it's like I could tell something was off about him."

A song... all this time, a song was the kidnapper. Who would've guessed? Did this explain anything about the order of captures?

"Anybody remember what Emi's friend said when she was on TV?" Rage asked. "She was looking for someone with rhythm, so... maybe Pluto just used her lure us into the television or something."

"It didn't work well as a lure," Zukin commented. "Although it did pique our interest of the world to begin with. Had it not been for Rage-sama and I watching TV, we may never have saved anyone else..."

"Then why'd he pick on me next?" Rage asked. "It was me, and then Yuni, and then Zero, and then Alice."

You all sat thoughtfully for a moment before Robert spoke.

"I think... I had something to do with it."

No... he hadn't kidnapped everyone, had he?

"I don't think so. But after I heard Souji's stories, I'd go home and tell my dad about them. Back before he got angry about it. So... everyone my dad heard about... every person who played DDR, anyway, was who got captured. Pluto must've been after the dancers in particular. I first told him about Erika at the arcade. I told him about Souji and the guys at the dorm, but he didn't hear about them at the arcade or anything. Then I talked about how Rage owned his takoyaki stand..."

"Then I got kidnapped after I stopped by your place," Yuni said.

What about Zero?

"I told him about when we had that match together. And Alice, I ehm... told him that story Souji told me."

That... time you creeped her out. You decided not to say anything beyond acknowledging that you knew what he was talking about.

"That settles it," Rage said. "Pluto was the kidnapper this whole time, and he was getting information from Robert. Now all we have to do is rescue Emi, and we can beat him down once and for all!"

"How?" Yuni argued. "We can't just start beating up his dad in the real world. We don't even know if Paranoia went away."

Well? Did Robert still feel his presence?

"I didn't have any dreams about him while I was crashing here," he answered. "But, to be fair, I was unconscious; I didn't dream anything that I can remember. Right now, I guess I feel kinda... normal."

It may be too soon to tell, but you just may have defeated the song inside Paranoia. Perhaps, if Pluto were to be in the other world, you would be able to face him and defeat him in the same manner.

"Paranoia was an ex-underling to Pluto," Robert explained. "He told me about how Pluto was his master, and I was the only person he could talk to about overtaking him. That's why he needed power, but he never had enough."

That meant that Pluto was more powerful than Paranoia. You questioned how you would be able to defeat him. But Devil Zukin had some sort of power... what was it? A song of heaven... that was all anyone knew. You felt there was no way to tell if you couldn't get any information out of Paranoia or Robert... you would just have to trust in Zukin's ability, despite not knowing just what it was.

"So what now?" Yuni asked. "Are we resting before we go and get Emi?"

"That seems to be the case," Akira answered. "Robert, are you able to go home?"

You could take him back to your dorm, if he was ready.

"I think so," he said. "Thanks a lot... I'm sorry I was a ton of trouble."

"Are you kidding?" Rage said. "Thanks to you, we know what we gotta do now. You can get stuck in the other side all you want if you got a bunch of info like that."

He meant well.

You also thanked everyone for their help before you left Yuni's mansion and took Robert back to your dorm.

-.

It was late by the time you got back to the living area on campus. You and your recovering friend were the only ones in sight.

"Hey, Souji?"

You gave him your attention.

"I'm sorry... about everything. If there's anything I can do to make it up, I'd do it."

There wasn't much he could do. You wanted him to stay safe, and away from the dark influences of Paranoia Hades. But if he ever learned anything more, you would appreciate more information. He was the only person who understood the songs, it seemed. He also needed to keep an eye on his father; he could quickly be a threat if he was really being controlled by the Pluto that Paranoia spoke of.

"I will," he said. "And... I know it's a lot to ask but... please save him, too. He's not the same as he used to be."

You would.

* * *

(You waited impatiently for the author to write action again...)


	40. Chapter 40

(I don't have enough written to go back to weekly updates, but I realized a week ago that I left poor Emi in the TV and should probably do something about it before writing the next parts...)

* * *

Although you weren't sure if the sun would set before you got home after work, you stopped by Rage's takoyaki stand. You wondered if anyone else was willing to talk to him that day, considering you left his girlfriend in the other world. Despite that, he seemed to be level headed when you arrived.

"Hey, Souji. Busy day?"

Not really; you were just cleaning. If anyone had it busy, it would've been Zero. He was being called left and right, and he was still on the clock when you left. Your biggest concern, on the other hand, was the intern that threw up on the floor during a procedure...

Rage laughed. "What a wuss."

You chuckled, although you felt bad for the nameless boy. How had Rage's business been that day?

"I sold so much octopus, you have no idea," Rage said. "Well... I tried, to. Business is expected to get slower this time of year, people coming outside less and less... and plus, some of the little kids just walked away, acting all cute and cheery, when I forgot to make them pay..."

Why didn't he just make them pay before he gave them the food?

"You... you know what, it's harder than it sounds."

You smiled. He looked a bit frustrated, but he grinned sheepishly, trying to laugh at himself.

"So tomorrow... we're going back in to save Emi, right?"

Of course, and not a day later.

"It's weird... I mean, I've been helping you save people since you first told me about this, but when it's Emi... it's different, you know? I just wonder what she's doing in there, what her Shadow's doing to her. And then I'm just letting it happen to her... I feel like there's something I should be doing right now."

There are times when a person has to face their dark side, so that they may realize that they have problems deep down. Accepting what's wrong means accepting you're only human and not lying to yourself anymore.

"You're right, but... I don't know. The thing with your buddy and Emi... that was a whole bunch of news thrown out at once. But at least that Hades guy is out of the picture, so we have one less thing to worry about in the TV world."

You hoped so; you didn't tell Rage of your uncertainty...

-.

Your class with Mr. Reddot was on Wednesday. Despite all you heard about Pluto possessing him, nothing seemed odd about the man. He was generally stoic and uncaring in his lectures, but you always wondered why he did nothing to you, despite Robert telling him all about you. Nervously, you sat in the back of the classroom and successfully went unnoticed for that day...

-.

You tried to arrive to Yuni's house as quickly as possible. Oddly, you were beaten by not only the mansion's residents but also by Rage and Zero, both of whom you thought were working in the afternoon.

"Screw work," Rage said, "I'm my own boss; I can do whatever I want."

"Like give away your product for free?" Zero asked.

"Sh-shut up, what's your excuse?"

"They allowed me to take time off today upon request."

"That's nice of 'em," Yuni commented. Zero shrugged.

When Alice finally showed up, you entered the large television...

-.

Devil Zukin and Ouze were able to send your group back to where you found Robert and Paranoia Hades.

"How much of the dungeon is left?" Rage asked.

"She is about two floors away," Zukin told him. "We can get there quickly if we hurry."

You requested that the seven of you split up as before: Zukin, Rage, Akira, and Zero on one team, with Alice and Yuni on yours. Once ready, you lead your small team forward. The wreckage from the previous battle left an opening to a set of stairs. At the next floor, you could hear voices again...

_"I... I'm going back to Hong Kong to be with my family."_

… Alice's voice? Is this from Emi's memories?

_"I can't stay here; Japan just isn't the place for me. As long as I'm in my dad's business, I'll never get anywhere."_

That was definitely Rage...

_"My family's rental store isn't doing so hot. But they found a place in America where I can work on a movie."_

Likely Yuni...

_"Good bye, Emi."_

_"This can't be goodbye; I thought I could be with all of you forever... I don't want you to leave me!"_

"It wasn't like that," Rage argued, "we all came back."

"She didn't know it at the time," Yuni said. "Besides, it's like we all left at once. I knew she was freaked out that year. That's why I decided to take her with me, and to see you, you jerk! You were her boyfriend; how could you just leave her like that?"

"I never thought she cared that much! I really didn't. Not until now."

You told them they would have to hold those thoughts off for the time being. At that point, the floor you were on was laid out like a maze. Columns of supercomputers lined against walls bordered the paths. You led the entire group to the first fork, which left you the option of going forward or left.. You glanced at Devil Zukin, who took her group left while you proceeded forward with Yuni and Alice.

You walked through an opening that led to a hallway perpendicular to the one you came from. To your right was a group of quietly working robots, and to your left was a door. Farther to your left was a blowing blue fan with red blades and a silver cage around it embedded in a wall. You quietly stepped in the room, not wanting to alert the small soldiers, and the girls did the same.

The whirring of the fan grew louder.

In seconds, you found it impossible to move toward the door due to a strong wind. The girls groaned -Yuni specifically mumbling something about her hair- and by that point, you were sure that the building knew you were there. You turned your head to the robots, hair and bangs now blowing into your face. As expected, the robots' lights were flashing, and they readied their guns. They seemed impervious to the wind, and you assumed their small bullets would have little resistance; you had no choice but to summon a Persona to protect your group. Futsunushi worked well the first time, so you quickly tried to call him again.

Before you were all hit, your Persona spawned and blocked the bullets as before. You spent a moment wondering what sort of element you could use. Electricity and fire were hazardous, ice was slippery... and what would wind do when there was already wind? Would it amplify your powers or make them useless?

"Any ideas?" Yuni shouted over the thundering wind.

You were sliding closer to your enemies until... the wind faded. What happened? You turned around and noticed that Hael was trying to push the wind backward in a sideways tornado. Not knowing how long she could keep this up, you told Yuni to destroy the mindless robots while the wind was gone.

"Got it!" Not bothering to summon Tsutomu, the blonde readied her armored fists and began to beat up the small soldiers by hand. You knew that they were weak, so you spared your spirit power and did the same with your sword, slicing their heads and weapons from their bodies. You could hear steel creaking behind you, followed by loud cracking sounds.

_CRASH!_

You heard several large mechanical pieces hitting the walls and the floor. Computers wires were snapping, and broken wires made crackling noises from excess charges. You finished destroying your last enemy before you went to check on Alice. The two of you looked at the fan... or its remains, rather. Hael's powers had ripped off the cage; it seemed to have spun in a counterclockwise direction, tearing apart computers in its path before it scraped the ground. The fan itself was crushed by the force of the opposing wind, and the blades were bent and broken. You asked how Alice's power was holding out.

"I think I'm okay," she answered.

"Wow," Yuni said at the wreckage. "Doesn't that kinda look like Be-fu's fan?"

Alice observed it. "It does. Emi's always been into Concents, hasn't she?"

Into what...? You weren't sure if it mattered what a Concent was... you dismissed that thought and asked your teammates to follow you to the door. You hastened your way to it, finding that on the other side was the next set of stairs.

"That's great!" Yuni said. "Now, we just gotta go get the guys and Zukin."

How were they holding up? Had they run into the same trap? Worried, you backtracked to the first fork.

Their path was about as linear as yours, occasionally leading to a dead end that Alice or Yuni would check out for you. You knew you were getting closer when you heard a whirring noise; they had to be caught by a fan as well. Still, you were plagued with trying to navigate a maze for about a minute before you actually found the right hallway. Devil Zukin was waiting outside of the fan room.

"Please forgive me," she said quickly, "I didn't know what could be done. They're unharmed for the most part, but they're all in there alone."

You looked in from the corner of the doorless opening. The men had their backs pressed against the wall, each missing their Persona. Inspired by Alice's strategy, you sent Norn inside, using the Wind Amp ability to quickly and effortlessly blow an opposing cyclone of wind into the fan, causing it to viciously tear apart and crumble like the other one did. Once the wind died, the boys fell to the floor.

"Thank you, Souji," Akira said on behalf of the three of them. Each of them looked a bit wind-wrecked; Zero's long hair was the most noticeably messy among them. Rage took one look at him and started laughing before Zero kicked him in the arm with his heavy boots, ending Rage's laughter with a yelp of pain.

"We ran into this thing on the other side, too," Yuni explained, "But our way led to the exit. Come on!" Ignoring your position as a leader, she ran ahead of everyone in the direction of the door. Rage dashed in front of you, and you and the others followed them back.

-.

_"I want to go back..."_

You listened to the echo as you went up the spiral stairs.

_"I want to go back to when I didn't have to worry so much about my future... but the future is always coming at me, no matter what I do. Please, make it stop... make everything stop..."_

The glowing portal indicated that you were at the final hallway. One metal door stood in your way of Emi. This was normally where you would leave and take a break, however...

"Can we go in now?"

Rage had turned around to face you.

"I really think we can get her out of here. That last fight was nothing; at least, the three of us still have some power left. Emi's been gone for days now; we gotta save her this time."

You felt you could still take on a Shadow, but you had to confirm that everyone else way okay. You looked around at everyone's faces; you received a few nods of confirmation, as well as a smile from Yuni and Alice. Knowing they were all right, you stepped toward the door, which slid open automatically.

"Emi!" Rage shouted.

You saw her up ahead, in a near-empty room with machines along the back wall. Emi was working on... that machine from the Midnight Channel! By that time, it was a large, flat machine with physical access to all the wires. You were relieved to see that the real Emi stopped working after hearing her name; her copy was off to the side, working on her own section of the machine.

"Hey, guys!" she said. She seemed oddly happy. You asked her what had been going on for the last few days.

"Oh, has it really been that long? This lady here just told me she needed help with this machine. She says I can use it when it's done." The lady she was referring to was Emi's Shadow from her broadcast, but she had a welding mask on. Emi evidently couldn't tell who the woman was.

"Do you know what that machine does?" Akira asked.

"Um... she just told me it'd make my life easier. It would probably be impressive enough so that I don't need college anymore. I could probably prove I'm good for _some_ kind of job with this instead of a diploma." She walked to the other side of the machine, where her copy was still working. "Hey miss, what does this machine_ really_ do?"

"It's here to help you," she said.

She stood up and lifted her mask; she was indeed Emi's Shadow. The original was alarmed.

"H-hey, you look like me, and you sound like me!"

You and your group ran to protect her if you needed to. As fast as you ran, Rage managed to go faster, even with his giant shield.

"You're catching on now," the Shadow congratulated. "You're quite smart when you put your mind to it, aren't you?"

"Um... thank you?"

"That's why you're in college, studying the very thing you hate the most: technology. You can do it; you can be the success your parents always wanted if you just focus on becoming smarter. So why is it such a burden for you to do what you're good at?"

"Be... because-"

"Because you only saw your ability to build robots as a childhood hobby, and you were pushed into making it something you could use in your adult life. All you ever wanted to do was meet people and get along with others, not spend the rest of your life locked in a boring and difficult job. But you're growing up, and you'll have to face the real world on your own in just a few years. And as you age, so will your friends. They'll all leave you for live their own lives, and you'll have to leave them to support yourself."

"Emi," Rage started, "that's not-"

"I know that people leave," she said to her Shadow, seeming to ignore the man. "But... what does that have to do with anything here?"

"You were here this whole time to create a machine for yourself." She pulled a lever, making the machine start up. You gulped, wondering if you should stop that thing or if posing a threat to the Shadow would endanger Emi. "When this machine powers up, time will be frozen. You will stay this way forever."

"Forever...?" She almost sounded relieved.

"You, your friends, and your family will never change, because time will never move forward."

"Wait, so you mean... we'll all be frozen? Nothing can ever happen again?"

"Of course nothing will happen. Any occurrence could alter your future. We can't risk any of that; you want things to stay the way they are, don't you?"

"N-no. I want to make new memories with my friends."

"You know as well as I that memories are forgotten. I don't want people to forget. I don't want people to leave. And I want everything to stay the way it is!"

"Just stop this thing!" Emi said, darting for the lever. Her Shadow grabbed her wrists, and Emi struggled to pull her arms free, kicking her feet against the ground as if trying to run away.

"Don't do this to me," she began to taunt, "I can't deal with the building pressures of growing up. I can't handle the thoughts that haunt me every day about my future. I can't stand to go back to that awful school to meet more people that are just going to leave me!"

"Let me go! I want to save my friends!"

"Who cares about your friends?" she yelled. "_You_ only care about _your_ own happiness! You're just a selfish child who will never grow up! You and I will _never_ face the real world as an adult if we can do anything about it!"

"Maybe you won't, but I-"

"Don't bother lying like that; I know everything about you," the Shadow said through gritted teeth,"or should I say, I know everything about _myself_."

"H-huh?"

"You and I are the same person, pretending to run away from reality each day. Look at yourself right now; you can't even listen to your own words!"

"You don't," she grunted, still trying to pull away, "you don't know me! You're not me!"

The Shadow's hands released Emi, whose moving feet slid unexpectedly, causing her to fall. She was shaking a bit, probably from fear. The Shadow's spine began to arch back as she chuckled in Emi's usually chipper voice. She emitted a strong dark aura.

"That's mean of you," the Shadow said. "It isn't like you to be rude like that. I'll help you out anyway; I'll make sure you never have to go back to the real world!"

Shadow clouds engulfed her, and the real Emi fainted on the floor. While Devil Zukin rushed into the darkness to pull Emi out of harm's say, you told everyone else to be ready.

The Shadow was an android of some sort, made mainly of blue and silver chrome-like material. She had a clock on her chest, which she protected with her metal hands. She didn't resemble Emi much, besides having what looked like the shape of a white hat on her head. The robot had a feminine build, but its massive size was a threat to you all.

"Well, she's a robot," Rage said. "Akira, it looks like a job for you."

The man gave Rage a questionable look. You didn't stop Akira from trying electricity; the more attacks that your team could test, the more data Zukin and Ouze could gather, and Lu-yan's abilities were great in defeating Paranoia. The dragon appeared and charged a small ball of lightning in front of his chest before launching it at Shadow Emi. The hands of her clock spun rapidly and the Shadow vibrated, but she remained upright.

"Don't do that again," Zukin instructed. "The more electric power she has, the more powerful she will become, and the sooner she will win this battle."

Akira frowned and stepped back. He tried pulling out his gun and shooting at the clock that Shadow Emi protected. You wondered if that was her weak point, and figured you needed to aim your attacks there. Her ability to absorb electricity led you to believe that she would cast spells of said element, so you pulled your Justice partner from your soul.

_Sraosha..._

The winged guardian excitedly spiraled into the air, having waited so long to be summoned again. He took a moment to charge a Brave Blade attack. As you waited, Rage and Alice tried their elemental moves against Emi. Hael's wind amplified Benkei's fire, but the attack didn't faze the sturdy robot. Beneath the robot's hands, the clock began to tick loudly at each second. The minute hand moved at the speed of a second hand.

"That clock indicates when her next move will be," Zukin said, "when the hands meet, I fear something disastrous will happen."

You felt that Sraosha's immunity to electricity prepared you for anything, but you told everyone they had about thirty more seconds before something would happen. You told everyone that the goal was to get to the clock and destroy it. After your instructions, Tsutomu dashed into the front of the battle and began slashing at Shadow Emi's right hand. Benkei used his brute force to bash the left hand. The giant hands would twitch, but they refused to move from the Shadow's chest. Even with the aid of Maion's almighty spell, the Personas weren't making much progress. With two of them physically combating the Shadow, you were hesitant to rush Sraosha in there, else you would injure one of them.

You had been trying to keep track of time. There were about ten seconds left.

The middle of the clock began to glow. Shadow Emi's impervious arms slowly spread out, surprising the two fighting Personas. They jumped back defensively as the glow became a neon purple. A ring of electricity radiated from the clock and through the Shadow's arms and legs. You looked at the floor and panicked upon noticing that it was made of metal; no standing would be safe.

_CRACKLE!_

Wildly dancing lightning emitted from Shadow Emi's hands, and a charged wave traveled across the floor and through the air. You were protected by your Persona, but you had to shield your eyes from the bright light. You placed your arm over your face as the room became white for a second; all you could hear were the screams of your teammates and the thundering attack.

As the sounds subsided in a few seconds, you looked around. Akira was fine (likely because he had an electric Persona himself), Zero was all right, Rage and Yuni looked like they were eager to get back into the fight, and Alice...

She had been knocked onto the floor, barely conscious. Why was it that wind and electricity were enemies, anyway...? You rushed to her aid when Maion flew into your way.

"Get the Shadow," you heard Zero yell, "I've got her."

You thanked him, having almost forgotten that this was precisely why you wanted Zero on your team. You were already running out of seconds before her next move, and it seemed that the other Personas weren't making much progress. You had a crazy idea: if Sraosha was immune to electricity, what if you sent him in at the moment of attack? It was the only time Shadow Emi left herself unguarded, and it may have been your only shot. But it would leave you unprotected, and if your Persona did anything less than stop the attack, you would be doomed.

You noticed that the Shadow began to charge energy in the center of her chest. The glow was brighter this time, as if she had more power. Tsutomu darted around the enemy from all different angles in a brief time, like she was a pesky fly. Benkei continued to slowly but harshly strike the Shadow's arm. When Emi's arms began to move, her movements scattered the Personas as before. You sent Sraosha out in the middle.

"Souji!" Zukin yelled. "What are you doing?"

You asked her to trust you. You saw the warrior dive into the bright flash before you blacked out...

-.

"...p yet?"

"Hey, he's-"

"Shh, let him..."

You opened your eyes and saw Yuni, Devil Zukin, and Zero looming over you.

"Thank God!" Yuni said. "We'd be screwed if you didn't wake up!"

"Are you all right?" Zero asked.

"The battle is still going on," Zukin told you. Worried, you instantly sat up to get a look, but your head was spinning. You grabbed your forehead; Yuni's small hands held you up.

"You were able to stop her from casting her electric attacks," she continued. "After the clock broke, your Persona disappeared. I assume that is when you were knocked out. We have been trying to weaken her, yet without a leader, we've only been able to stall the battle. I fear some of us are running out of power."

You looked at Emi's Shadow. The broken clock left a gaping hole in her. If something could attack her from the inside, it may have a greater effect. Knowing Rage, he had probably been using physical attacks and was filled with unused spirit power. You spoke your theories in a weak voice, a bit too tired to shout a command.

"Hey Rage!" Yuni shouted in his direction. "Can you burn her up in that hole?"

"What?" he yelled back. "Benkei, you got that?"

But he couldn't get in. Shadow Emi continued to guard the hole with her large hands, and Benkei couldn't fit through the gaps, nor did he have the strength to pull her arms away..

You saw a flash from inside (it appeared to be Megido), and Shadow Emi threw her arms up out of surprise. Without hesitating, Rage's Persona tore the opening larger before pulling himself inside. You could see a massive fire in her body. She clutched her body in pain, but it only made the burning worse. The heat was so intense that the metal began to melt, and she fell on her knees. The fire stopped as she was falling forward; Benkei jumped out before she crumbled onto the ground.

The noisy battle had come to an end, and you were able to focus again. Devil Zukin helped you to your feet. You congratulated everyone on their efforts, especially during the period you were out of the battle. The next thing that occurred to you was that Emi's Shadow had faded back into her humanlike self. It was time for the original to face herself.

"Hey, you all right?" Rage said off to the side. He had been talking to Emi, who was sitting up.

"I just... what happened?" she asked.

"That's you over there," he answered. "She's your dark side."

"Am I... having a dream... or a nightmare?"

"Nope, this is all real." Rage pinched himself. "Ow. See?"

That didn't prove anything to her...

Emi giggled. "I'll take your word for it. But... why am I over there...?"

You cut Rage off before he confused her further. You simply advised Emi to confront her Shadow -her other self- and accept the other half of her.

Rage pulled her up, and Emi walked to her Shadow on her own, who was standing and waiting patiently for her.

"All those things you said earlier," she began, "all those things about staying a kid forever because you don't want to grow up, and you don't want things to change... you said them all because I never admit stuff like that, huh? I guess that's 'cause I think I sound like a brat when I talk about things I don't like, so I pretended you weren't there... you must've had a hard time being ignored for so long. I'll take you back, and I won't leave you alone anymore, okay?"

Her Shadow smiled, much like the Emi you knew so well. As she rose into the air, Emi reached out for her in a worried manner. The once-threatening Shadow shrank into sparkling blue fairy-like creature, who looked like she was made of sparkling sapphire crystals from where you stood. She faded into a card only a little smaller than her body before Emi carefully caught it as it fell softly into her hands. She pulled the glow into her chest.

You and the others excitedly surrounded her.

"Congrats, Emi!" Rage told her, giving her a pat on the back. "You got a Persona!"

"Huh?" she questioned, confused again. "I thought it was a Shadow."

You could explain that later. For then, you felt you should get out of the television before she began to feel any of this world's side effects. Rage and Yuni stayed by Emi's right and left side respectively, and you went back to the glowing portal in the hallway, leaving this world behind again.

-.

Once Emi was out, she stumbled into her friends' arms for a moment. Rage and Yuni helped her to the couch, where the three of them sat.

"Wow, it's so weird being back here," Emi commented. "Everything's so quiet and... clear."

"You really got used to being in there," Yuni said.

She nodded. "But it's good to be back. I missed you guys. So, wait, what was Rage saying about a Persona?"

"There's uh... a lot more you should know, actually," Rage replied. "Should we just tell her everything about what's been going on?"

You nodded. For hopefully the last time, you told her about the string of kidnappings, and how each time someone was taken into the TV world by who you believed was Pluto, they would face their other self. Upon accepting their side, this new side could become a protector on the other side against Shadows. After learning the true nature of the kidnappings and boss songs from Robert, you hoped that all of you could unite and stop Pluto from capturing more victims and from taking over the human he possessed like Hades nearly did.

It was a long explanation and you could tell she had been distracted for part of it, but her eyes were wide by the end.

"That's crazy!" she said. "And that's what all of you guys have been doing this whole time? I can't believe this! I can help, too, can't I? With my Persona, I can beat Pluto!"

"We will need a day to prepare your glasses," Devil Zukin said. "Konsento and I must construct them to see clearly on the other side."

"And you need a weapon," Rage noted.

And if Pluto was the mastermind behind everything, you wouldn't feel safe unless she had some time to train her Persona before the last battle.

"So... we gotta hold off, I guess," she said, defeated.

"And we must get Pluto to reveal himself before we do anything," Zukin continued.

She was right. The only reason you were able to defeat Paranoia was because Robert willingly went into the other side, giving Paranoia power. Perhaps if you took his father in there, Pluto would come out. That sort of forced battle would have to wait until everyone was ready. You would spend about a week training and allowing Emi to fully recover before you would purposely fight Pluto.


	41. Chapter 41

(So uh... the P4 anime totally started before I was done with this. Still can't get used to Souji's new name. Drat. xD; Ehm. Moving on...)

* * *

While at the hospital, you noticed that Emi left a voicemail on your phone.

"Souji! Yuni's missing! She and Akira got in a fight, and she ran away. She left her phone at her house, and nobody can find her. Please be on the lookout for her, okay? Let us know if you find her!"

You would keep your eye out for Yuni...

-.

… which wasn't particularly difficult when you saw a girl outside the hospital.

You had to take a second glance; you initially saw a normal girl wearing a blouse with a tie, as well as a black skirt with black boots. She had a hat that hid most of her hair and sat on the sidewalk just before the parking lot. But upon a closer look, she had the unique golden blonde hair that you didn't see on any other girl. You carefully walked to her and greeted her. She twitched in surprise and looked at you; then she looked back at the ground, putting her chin in her hands and elbows on her knees.

"Hey, how's it going, Souji?" she asked, uninterested. Had she known you were looking for her? You told her about Emi's phone call.

"I should've figured she was gonna do that. I knew if I went to Emi or Rage, they would just turn me in to Akira. I was hoping I could hide here and then Zero could quietly give me a ride home after we've both had time think. Besides, no one would look here. So what, are you gonna tell everyone I'm here?"

You promised not to tell anyone she was there. If you did, she would probably run away to somewhere else. Perhaps your best hope would be for Yuni to get a ride and safely get home. You offered to stick around for a little bit while she waited.

"Aw, you don't have to do that," she said, even though you were already sitting down. "Unless you want to."

Well, you were curious as to what she and Akira got in a fight about.

"Ugh," she grumbled. "Okay, I was invited to a party with a bunch of movie stars. My agent told me about it and said if I played my cards right with some old guys there, I could land a role in their new movie. But it's for a girl a couple years older than I am; if I was guarded by Akira the whole time, the producers would see me as a little kid and I wouldn't look like I fit the part at all.

"So I told Akira to let me go by myself, and he said he wasn't '_comfortable with it._' I was like, 'why not?' And he says I'm too young to go to a party by myself. But he's the only guy who thinks that. I mean, my agent thinks I'm mature enough to do this on my own, and lots of girl celebs are allowed to do things on their own out in public. But Akira never leaves me alone. I yelled at him, saying he was treating me like a baby, and he got really angry at me." She fidgeted with her hands. "I was... actually afraid of him. So I ran out of the room, grabbed some of his clothes to wear over mine, and snuck out without him noticing. I know it won't solve anything... I'm just mad."

There were a number of conflicts going through her head; you weren't sure where to start, but you tried to sympathize with her. She was suffering from Akira lacking trust in her, but she had to realize that running away like this was making it worse.

"I know, I know," she said. "But it doesn't make a difference, anyway. He wouldn't trust me to go even if I did stay in the mansion like a good girl."

It couldn't just be Akira... what did her parents think?

"They don't know about it. They're busy with business and stuff."

So Akira was the only father figure she had...

"Ew, he's not that old," she laughed. "He acts like a big brother a lot. But it's annoying."

He probably just cared for her. Her agent, on the other hand... how much did Yuni know about this person, or about the party for that matter?

"My agent? She's, uh... she's nice. She's the only reason I get in movies and stuff, so I owe her a lot. And her success depends on mine, so... she's gotta be looking out for me a little bit, right?"

You hoped so.

"And about the party, I mean, I only know what she knows. She got a call from the guy who was trying to recruit me and they told her all that stuff about the role. I'm not sure what kind of stunt they'd pull on someone with my status; maybe I'd be Punk'd at worst." She laughed.

"But Akira and I just need to cool off for a bit. Later tonight, I'll try talking to him again..."

-.

Before going to the arcade on Friday, received a call from Akira.

"This may seem out of the blue, but I wanted to know if you were willing to have a talk."

Were you in trouble for not telling anyone about Yuni? He didn't sound angry... Regardless of what the talk was about, you accepted the request.

-.

You waited by the street near your dorm for Akira to show up. His car was sleek looking and silver; he must've been paid rather well by Yuni's family. He remained in the driver's seat and motioned you to get in the car. Not wanting to damage the near-luxury car, you softly opened the passenger's seat door and climbed in. You instinctively buckled your seat belt and asked where he was taking you.

"I don't know that myself," he replied. "There are days I simply like to drive for my own amusement."

While you were listening, you were distracted by the interior of the vehicle. Everything was black with contrasting light silver edges. The radio appeared simplistic on the outside and had a slot for a small data card, but the sound quality was excellent. He was listening to some sort of dance music, but the volume was too low for you to hear much besides the clear percussion. Perhaps it was turned down so he could hear you better.

As the car began to move, Akira chuckled. "It isn't as expensive as you might think," he said, probably noting how intrigued you were by the car's interior. "I just like to take care of this car; I use it a lot, after all."

Does he drive a lot in New York, of all places?

"Sometimes I stay in the city; other times, I look for some small town. I haven't gone a lot of places since I was hired as a bodyguard, but," he he sighed, "Yuni's... growing up, or so she wants me to believe. I think I need to leave her alone for a bit. She told me about her talk with you yesterday..."

You apologized for not telling him you found her...

"No, don't worry about that; you did what you had to. I'm glad she was able to talk about that with you. Part of the reason I asked you to join me today is so that I could ask for your advice."

On what?

"I've been thinking... about that day we went to rescue Yuni in the TV world. That Shadow of me who was a prisoner... do I really suit that description? What do you think?"

You rarely heard anything about him besides his job of guarding Yuni. Maybe he needed more breaks like this away from her to ease his mind, and to be his own person.

"But I can't leave her."

Why not?

"I can't explain it. Ever since I was given this job, I've felt it was my responsibility if anything happened to her. She's a bit of a rebel, and she could probably stay safe if she didn't find her own trouble. For that reason, I think she needs me around. At the same time, I need her to have a job."

By this time, the scenery changed from walls of buildings to a series of long streets as he took a fast road to another city. All you could see were signs and more roads. You had never been out this far before; you wondered if he knew the way back...

"And she gives me a purpose."

Huh?

"Being a bodyguard seems like the most rewarding job to me. I can protect someone, and I hope that someone wants me by their side. That's why it scares me to think she doesn't need me anymore sometimes."

Yuni was just growing up. You didn't know much about their relationship, but she could never resent Akira; the two of them would always remember each other and the good times they had. You thought that maybe he just needed to hear what Yuni thought of him, in her words.

Did he have any good memories of Yuni?

"Of course," he said with a smile, turning onto a lonely road. "The first time I took her on a drive. We were both young; at the time, Yuni was nearly a child. Her father refused to let the two of us travel this far alone, having not known me very long, so he accompanied us on a short trip to Yuni's favorite ice cream parlor. On the way home, she was complaining about her father following her everywhere."

You came to a stop. You looked at Akira, who seemed to be in bittersweet nostalgia.

"She told me she wanted to be with just me. I was the one friend she could trust."

You smiled. You could nearly see Akira's memory in your mind; a small girl who probably appreciated having a friend to talk to, someone closer to her age and around more often than her parents.

"Anyway, let's eat."

Where had he taken you?

It looked like an ice cream parlor.


	42. Chapter 42

(The P4 anime is a-ma-zing~ and makes me want to rewrite a bunch of this but NO not until after we get to the end. I thhhhink I proofread this a while back... blasted distractions. P4A, DDR II, DDR X3... give me inspiration. xP)

* * *

Saturday was a good say to train. More specifically, it was a good day for you to help Emi catch up to your team. Yuni was at her party, and while Akira didn't attend, he remained outside the television in case she needed him. Rage needed the money from a busy Saturday and stayed at his takoyaki stand. You were left with Devil Zukin, Zero, Alice, and Emi in the television. The last girl received a pair of thin-framed pink glasses from Zukin, and she wielded two knives that were from Akira's previously little-known weapon collection.

You weren't very energetic that day, but you knew there were little dangers remaining in the dungeons, and you had faith in your teammates. You had access to three dungeons created by the people that you brought with you. Of them, Zero's instant-death Shadows and Emi's giant robots made you a bit nervous, but you believed Alice's singing monsters would spawn plenty of Shadows to easily defeat.

-.

"Look out!"

As Zukin shouted a warning, you could feel a burst of chilly air about to hit you and Zero. You two dove out of the way in opposite directions, dodging a freezing cloud of ice crystals..

"Sorry!" Emi said... for perhaps the tenth time that day. Zero groaned; as much as you wanted to open your mouth, but neither of you men had the heart to berate her, nor did Alice. Emi hadn't grasped or noticed the fact that the magic hats could lower everyone's accuracy. You looked at Zukin for a little leader support.

"Emi, if you cannot tell where your attack will land, you must wait," she scolded. "There are Shadows who intentionally play with your ability to aim."

"I thought I was close, though," she argued, rubbing her head.

Zero commanded Maion to rid you of your ailments. After a flash of light magic, you told Emi that it was time to attack. Her job in this dungeon was to eliminate the magic hats causing these problems; it seemed Nixie was of the ice element, and the hats were weak to it.

"Bufu! Bufu!" she continuously shouted. She hadn't used any other spells, but at least she was comfortable with one.

You had destroyed the microphone Shadow earlier and were left with three Ardent Dancers. You led Alice to combat one of them; the two of you used your weapons and defeated it with slashes from your sword and swipes from her fan. You couldn't help but watch every second or so, as Alice got her biggest strikes when she twirled her body in a full rotation, letting her hair circle around her, yet it still managed to rest nicely on her back when she stopped.

Something exploded in the near distance.

"Yay!" Emi shouted after the sound. The magic hat was finally gone.

You and Alice destroyed your dancer. You commanded Zero to assist Emi in taking down another while you led your partner to the last one. You didn't hear any protest and assumed that the two were going to team up. In that period, you and Alice used the same mindlessly violent method to fight your opponent. The dancers would try to swat you two away with their sword, but you easily countered them with your own, keeping you and Alice from any harm.

The fight ended in a matter of seconds; you knew that Alice as well as everyone else had grown stronger over the span of these battles. She delivered the finishing blow before the Shadow turned into dust. You congratulated her, and she humbly looked to the ground, muttering "thanks for your help."

As you sort of expected, Zero and Emi's fight wasn't over. Zero, though able to defend Emi, was not good at countering and was slowed down by his heavy shoes. He gave up on physical combat and unleashed Maion to serve as a swordsman. The angel's sword was sharp but thin; it was meant more for show rather than for a long battle. Emi timidly punched the monster, refusing to dig her knives into it.

You told her not to hold back. She would need to learn to be merciless if they wanted to defeat Pluto.

"But," she stuttered. She jabbed one of the knives into the male dancer's waist before quickly pulling it back out. It grew angry and tried to slash her, but Maion defended her with his delicate sword. He took the hit, but disappeared afterward. Zero found an opening from the other side and kicked the female half of the Shadow in her leg. He dived onto the floor and swung a large spin kick at their ankles, trying to trip them.

They stumbled, but the Ardent Dancers supported each other and refused to fall. Instead of swiping at your teammates, the dancers raised their sword in the air and cast what looked like Garula on Zero. The spiral of wind shot from above him and into his head, knocking him down.

Emi's small fists curled around her knives. She channeled her fury into her arms and began to slash at her foe, yelling a feminine battle cry. It appeared to be taking damage from her stabs; it turned to her and was about to strike her with the same wind move before Zero recovered and kicked it over by aiming above the dancers' waists.

Once the enemy was down, you declared an all out attack. The pair finished the monster off beneath a cloud of dust and Shadow remains. It disappeared near-instantly, and when everything cleared, you could see a tired Emi and Zero standing. You heard Emi cheer.

You ran to Emi to congratulate her, Alice following close behind you. You told Emi that if her fighting spirit was always like that, she would be ready for bigger fights.

"I dunno," she started. "I still kinda feel bad about fighting. But if it's to help you guys, it's different. I was just mad that he hurt Zero."

Well, she wouldn't want that to happen again, would she?

She shook her head. "Nope! Okay, then. I'll work on being more aggressive. These guys aren't people. I mean... I don't know what they are, but I don't think they're people."

You smiled at her childish comment, and your team continued to train until you grew too tired to continue.

-.

You visited Rage on Sunday afternoon. His stand wasn't open in the early morning, so he had some time to talk to you. You asked him how Saturday had gone.

"Disco knows I'm stuck here every Saturday 'cause I can't afford to miss a weekend out here, so he proposed that everyone stop by the carnival before his party. I didn't make it to his place in return, but I was too tired to want to go, anyway. He's a good guy."

You never met Disco...

"Ah? Oh yeah, you've probably been too busy. But all you gotta know is he does a lot for the dancing community around here. I mean, that's about all he does. Me, being part of this community...He helps out my business. He let me cater the party a few times, too."

He paused. "I know that back in the other world, I was going through a time where I thought I was kind of a failure. We had been getting some rain that was trashing my business and it was kind of a downer. But on Saturday, all those people made me feel like I was on top of the world... like everything I'd worked for had come true. I'm my own boss, and it's a good feeling. I did what I came to America for, and I'm damned good at it, if I say so myself." He grinned.

"But it's not all me. It's thanks to my friends for coming to America to support me. I'm a success because that's how my friends see me. I could be totally bankrupt, a total loser, and my friends would still come through for me. As long as my friends accept my bad temper and attitude, I can accept me for myself. I wouldn't change who I am for anything; I'd be some kinda liar if I did."

His gratitude gave you a new feeling...

No, a vaguley familiar one...

His body jerked a little and his eyes widened. You were concerned at first, but when the world began to change around you, you knew what was going to happen.

The scenery changed from the carnival to an empty space; the two of you were briefly surrounded by a black void. Rage looked above him, unfazed by the blue false flames that circled him, and saw Benkei levitate in the air, shining in a glowing sapphire aura before a blinding light emitted from his core. As the light faded, a new warrior was in his place. His muscles intensified, now having to support larger gloves. His shirt was no more; he wore old looking pants and left his feet bare. He gained a mouth but became bald. His milky white pupils were the same as the previous Persona.

After another bright light, the two of you returned to the carnival.

"That was... cool?" he said. "Benkei just evolved into...Hidesato?"

Precisely. Rage's Persona and power were no longer held back by doubt; Rage knew who he was and he not only accepted it, he took pride in it.

"That's awesome!" he said. "I can be twice as reckless now! All right, you've done a lot here for us and we haven't done a lot for you. After this is all over, maybe we can have a dance party to celebrate, on Disco."

There were a number of flaws in his logic. One, you didn't think it was a good idea to tell a lot of people about Pluto and the Shadow world inside DDR. Two, you couldn't _really_ dance.

"It'd just be us DDR players," he said, "and we can invite Gus and the others in Yuni's mansion; they can keep a secret and we may as well let them in on it. And whaddaya mean you can't dance? You just gotta feel the music and move how you want. Or ask Gus; he's all about teaching people how to move."

A party was a bit much to ask, but if it really was no problem for Disco...

"Nah, he lives for this stuff. You uh... you have no idea." His voice had an odd tone to it, as if he reflected on someone who was probably an odd person...

-.

Yuni showed up at the carnival shortly after Rage opened his stand. She wore the hat you saw on Thursday but replaced Akira's suit with feminine punk clothes. She arrived with her hair untied and flowing down her back. Her shining blonde hair still stood out, but she didn't look much like Yuni, and that was probably her goal.

"'Sup, Yuni?" he asked. "Here for some food?"

"You bet," she answered. "I'm ready to get off my diet!"

"The diet you've been on for a _whole two days_? That's a record."

"Be quiet and cook for your paying customer!"

"Ha, I'm just kidding. I'd start to worry if you got any thinner, anyway."

You felt the same way. Why was she on a diet?

"I gotta make sure I don't gain any weight. You know all those bloggers and reporters... one extra pound, the photographers catch it, and then everyone's talking about it. I mean, I know none of you guys care, but the directors and stuff get kinda mad at me."

"Hey, speaking of the high life," Rage said sarcastically, "how was that party?"

"Oh, that," she muttered bitterly. "It wasn't all it was cracked up to be."

"Don't worry. A little fried food will fix the whole weekend up."

"That's what I like to hear," she said, smiling. She crossed her arms impatiently and waited for a few seconds, staring him down.

"I gotta make a big batch at a time," Rage told you two. "Give me a few minutes to myself, will ya?"

"Oh fine. Let's go check out the carnival, Souji." You became alert at your name and noticed that Yuni was walking away. You caught up to her and walked by her side.

-.

It took maybe a minute or so of conversing about rides you were hesitant to try before you arrived to the kiddie rides. Parents chased and watched over their overexcited children. A couple families were on benches eating ice cream and drinking soda. There was one bench in the shade of a tree, and you and Yuni rested on it.

"You know that party?" she began out of the blue.

The one she attended on Saturday? You remembered it as the one Akira nearly didn't let her attend, but you left that part out.

"It... wasn't a party at all. It was a hoax."

Concerned, you waited for her to continue.

"It seemed legit; there was a carpet to his door and a fence to hold off the paparazzi... who weren't there, but we did get there early. But after I got in the big house, I noticed that nobody was inside." She hesitated. "I knew something wasn't right, but I kept going anyway. Long story short... it was all a trap to kidnap me for my money.

"They tied some rope around me and kept asking me how to contact my parents. I had them call Akira, and they told him to meet them at some warehouse or something; there, some other guys would've got the money and then let me go so the real criminal could get away. But my cell phone in my purse had a GPS on it that only Akira and my parents know about -and you, now- so Akira went straight to me.

"He took out the guys' weapons with his guns out and carried me out of the house where the cops were waiting. I guess he was the one who called the police, because if they just showed up without knowing who Akira was, it probably would've looked pretty bad for him. Akira untied me outside and asked if I was okay. And, well, everything was kind of tense after that...

"But what's weird is he didn't scold me at all. He used to get mad whenever something happened to me and take his anger out by telling me I was being careless. But on Saturday night, it was like he was just relieved I was okay. I'm sure that inside, we were both freaking out. But we got through it... together.

"I guess what I really learned was that even though there are a bunch of jerks out there who are out to get me, I still have other people I can count on. I think that's something my Shadow missed. I want everything to go my way, I wish I could make those bad guys would get what they deserve, but I gotta sit back and let things happen the way they do. And with the good people in this world to help me out, things usually work out for the better."

She was relaxed now, compared to a few minutes beforehand. She seemed happy to tell this to you.

"If it hadn't been for you and Akira and the others saving me, I wouldn't have lived to see that I don't have to command people to get my way; sometimes I just have to trust them. I'm still a kid, and I don't need to dominate the world... yet." She grinned. "Yeah, I'm a bit bossy and act like I own the world sometimes, but oh well; I have you guys to keep me in line."

The laughter of the distant children subsided. The world became quiet and transformed into darkness, but neither you nor Yuni was scared.

You could see Tsutomu's slim figure looming high over Yuni before the Persona became a bigger, stronger, and darker ninja with shorter hair and longer claws. Her blank eyes were formed in a more sinister expression than Tsutomu, locked in a deadly glare as she disappeared. When back into reality, Yuni faced you with excited yet confused eyes.

"What just happened there?" she asked loudly. "Did Tsutomu get bigger? Is she stronger now?"

She had been reborn into a new Persona after Yuni learned from her troubles.

"Oh, okay. Then 'Kishijoten' must be her name... I can totally take on Pluto now!" She punched her hand in a fighting pose. "But first... we should go eat something. Rage probably thinks we abandoned him." She grinned, and the two of you ran back to the takoyaki stand in a playful race.


	43. Chapter 43

(So uh... I died, came back to life, now recap time? Nobody's in the TV, need to be able to defeat Pluto who is taking over Robert's dad, so the MC who is still named Souji Seta and his crew of dancers are both training and taking some chill time. Yuni just got saved by Akira yet again and they go through the aftermath of how much it kind of sucked for them, but it seems nobody flipped tables. Currently, Rage and Yuni's Personas rock.)

* * *

You knew Yuni was all right after the scare on Saturday, but you decided to check on Akira. You went to Yuni's mansion after class on Monday, hoping that he wasn't out trying to catch her.

"You're here for Akira?" Maid Zukin asked. "I'm sorry, he isn't here right now. He went to a shooting range today."

Did he take Yuni with him?

"She's still here," she answered. "Did you want to talk to her?"

No, you left her alone. It definitely seemed odd that she was home and Akira was out. You decided to get directions to the shooting area...

-.

You assumed it was loud inside because of how clearly you could hear shots from a distance. You weren't going to get in without paying a fee, so you left a message on Akira's phone and waited by his car in the parking lot. You entertained yourself by playing with games on your phone, quickly draining the battery for ten or twenty minutes before Akira ran to you.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," he said. You told him it was no problem; you just went to see how he was doing after...

His face fell a little. "It didn't leave me any less concerned for her."

Yuni mentioned that he took it rather well on the night of the incident, compared to usual.

"Did she?" he asked. Why did he have a sarcastic smile? "Usually, I'm not the only one who gets angry; it's a team effort. She would blame me for butting in, and I would blame her for getting in trouble. But we both managed to avoid those pointless arguments this time. I stopped and thought before lashing out, and I realized that it wasn't her fault. She seems to have matured as well, and I'm proud of her for that."

Proud? He spoke as if he was her father.

He laughed. "I'm not that old. I feel like I've just known her for a long time. Or maybe it's just that I've spent a lot of time with her over these years." He looked at his gun holster. "This is one of the first days I've really taken off for myself in years. It's not that they overwork me; it's just that if she gets in trouble, I have no one to blame but myself. But some things are just out of my control. I don't need to be around to stop her from experiencing life and learning on her own. Still... if she ever wants my help, I'll be there for her. I have the strength and skill to save her from danger.

"Weeks ago, I know that I brought the feeling of being a prisoner onto myself. When I think about it, the simple explanation is that I can't leave her because I, erm," he was a little embarrassed, "because I care about her too much. Yet if she wants me around as much as I want to be around, then there's nothing wrong with that. Our bond can't be broken, but it's because we're like family.

"Thanks for checking on me," he said. "It helps to have someone to talk to like this."

Akira relied on you to hold a conversation like that. You felt that he was at peace.

Akira looked surprised; the area around you turned into a void. All noise ceased, except for what sounded like a breeze in your ears. Akira looked up and saw Lu-yan for a moment, levitating in the sky. He brought his fists into his chest and curled into a ball of light; the light exploded and left a larger dark dragon in his place. He had elongated spikes on the back of his neck, narrower eyes, and shoulder guards. He had a majestic cape draped behind him. The last thing you noticed was the thin moustache-like strands by his nose before everything faded back to the real world, taking the new dragon with it.

It looked like Akira's Persona had evolved, too.

"Is that what happened?" he asked. "Interesting." He tried to remain humble about his new power, though you saw him place his hand on his chin, trying to hide his smile.

"Please do me a favor, though, and don't tell anyone about what I told you. People seem to get the wrong idea about Yuni and I."

You told him not to worry. From what you heard from Devil Zukin, you knew exactly what he was talking about. Did it bother him that much that people were spreading false rumors? They were his friends; they wouldn't make anything up to hurt him. They probably only meant to have some fun.

"It's not that they're spreading false rumors," he turned away from you, "but the more they talk about it, the more I believe it..."

-.

The sky was cloudy on Tuesday, making the evening darker than normal. You could hear faint rumbles of thunder in the distance when you stood by the large windows of the hospital. You were about an hour away from getting off of work, and you hoped you would get home before any sort of chilling shower began to fall.

The day continued to darken, inside and outside of the building.

You had no personal relationships with most of the doctors, but a handful of them recognized you from time to time. You were known as "the young man who somehow knew Zero," and that was enough reason for a woman to confront you.

"Hey, you're Zero's friend, aren't you?"

In some sense, yes.

"Have you heard? That girl he's looking after isn't getting any better."

He was looking after someone?

"Well, last week, a girl came in here to have a procedure done, but she's a bit frail, and they weren't sure if she was going to survive the operation. Zero was the one who broke the news to her and her parents. She was afraid to do it, so the medical doctors have been trying to help out and stall with some medications, but Zero and the other surgeons know that she won't actually get better unless she takes that risky procedure."

You nodded and followed her story, thankful that she excluded complicated terms. You asked her if she knew where Zero was.

"He's in the same place he's been all week: outside her door on the third floor, room 302."

-.

She had been right. You saw him with his back against the wall, staring at invisible spot across from him. His eyes noticed you, but only for a second before he looked away again.

"What are you doing here?"

You said you had been looking for him after someone told you what had been going on.

He sighed, annoyed. "There's nothing you can do. There's nothing I can do. We have to leave it at that."

He was frustrated; he didn't sound like he believed that. What did he really believe?

"I... don't know," he mumbled.

Did he not want to push her to get better? Or did he support her decision to wait...?

He glared at you. "I said I don't know!"

You flinched a little at his volume. It wasn't loud, just unexpected. He leaned his head back against the wall, suddenly calm again. "If she doesn't want the procedure, she will die. If she does want my help, I will be responsible for her life."

And he didn't want to be blamed for her death... you tried to understand his position.

"It would be in her best interest to get the surgery out of her way," he muttered. "She has about a month to live before her body damages itself beyond repair. I want her to live; I want her to recover. But the way she is now, she'll only get worse. Why is she doing this to herself...?" His shoulders looked tense.

You tried to see it from the patient's eyes. It was hard to imagine what she was going through, in part because you had no idea what she looked like or how old she was.

"See for yourself through the blinds," Zero told you.

Though it seemed like an invasion of privacy, you decided to peek. There was a vertical opening to the very right of the blinds where you could barely see her. She was an older teenager with straight, long dark hair and bangs, talking to two other girls that seemed to know her. She had long arms, likely because she was tall, but she was definitely thin; so thin that looking at her too long made you squeamish, especially when you thought about how she needed to go under an operation.

But she seemed happy, despite her condition.

"I've told her everything," Zero muttered. "Her 'choice' was to wait and think about it. It isn't my business, but I can't stand to see her here."

This was the most troubled you'd seen Zero. You could tell he had more to say, so you waited quietly.

"Part of me wants to do this surgery thinking that..." he stopped. "That no matter how it turns out, it's better than dying slowly and suffering in this hotpital. And I can't stop believing that, even though I know it isn't right... or is it?"

His perspective wasn't right or wrong; it was just his opinion. Had it been his own life, would be not think twice about spending a few days with the people close to him before deciding to risk his life?

He scoffed. "I don't think I can relate to that. Even so," he looked absentmindedly at the window to her room, "there are those people who cling to life like that. If I can't convince her to try the operation... will I have failed at saving her life?"

That was his reason for being a doctor, wasn't it? His reason for being on your team, even the reason for his Shadow and Persona's powers. Zero wanted to save people. You could only tell him that no matter what happened, she would be all right. She would live or she would die, even if she decided to live the rest of her shortened life in the hospital. To her, being sure that she would have another month was probably more important than just a chance of having the rest of her life. Instead of lamenting over her possible death, could he be happy that she had this chance to live a bit longer?

He looked at you, surprised.

"You're asking _me_to be happy about something?"

He had a fake smirk; you could sense he was actually still bitter inside. He quickly gave up trying to smile and stared back at the wall.

"Just... let me think about this for a while."

-.

After you left for the day, you saw Alice innocently standing outside, wearing a bulky brown winter coat, even though the weather still felt like an early autumn to you. How long had she been there? You approached her and asked her what she was doing.

"Oh, um," she stuttered. "I came because... well, because... I was going to talk to Zero."

You told her that she could probably find him by room 302, if he hadn't left.

"So he's still there, huh?" she mumbled. You asked if she knew about the girl.

"The girl from a week ago? Yeah. He... wouldn't tell me about it; I asked around."

He wouldn't tell you, either. You were fortunate enough to hear from someone else, and you were surprised Alice even noticed something was wrong.

"He gets worked up like that sometimes. I don't think he's been at the hospital very long; a lot of these things are probably new to him." She frowned. "He doesn't like to talk about these things... but he started avoiding me a few days ago, so I wanted to find out what was going on. When I heard he might be hurt, I wanted to do something to help, so I came here, and... and that's it. I've just been outside, waiting for him."

You were confused. Why didn't she go in? He wasn't busy, and it's not like she hadn't gone in before.

"Because I... I don't know what I can do to help in a time like this. I'm not smart like you, Souji. I don't know what to say to make people feel better. Especially not Zero; most people think he doesn't like to hear anything, but he really just doesn't like to talk, so I have to be the one to say everything sometimes. What do I say? What does he want to hear?"

You thought about it, and realized her problem was that she was looking for the wrong answers. She was thinking in terms of what Zero was expecting her to say.

"Is that wrong?"

You asked her if she remembered her Shadow.

She nodded. "She was... well, I was upset that I had to try so hard to get everyone to like me. I was so occupied with putting on a show for everyone else that nobody saw me for who I was... it was like they couldn't see the real me at all. But this isn't about me, this is about-"

It was indeed about her. It was clear that she was one of Zero's better friends (at least, one of the few people he tolerated). If she just did what she felt was natural, he would accept her for who she was.

"What if he doesn't like who I really am? What if I'm really just a bother to him...?"

You knew, since meeting her, that she was a sweet girl who wanted others to be happy. So what if she didn't know the right words? Her sincerity was something that couldn't be put into words; her will alone to be there for her friends was what made her so kind.

She blushed and turned away. "You don't have to say it like that. I'm still afraid of letting people down. But my real friends accept me for who I am. I think if I try, I can stop being afraid of the people close to me." She nodded, and then she smiled at you. "Yeah. I'm going to try harder to just be myself."

The other dimension formed around you. Above her head was Hael, who faded before your eyes before being replaced by a heavily cloaked woman with a white, blank face. She had a veil behind her and long sleeves; Hael's gold accessories were around this new Persona's waist as a belt, as well as attached to her long, horizontally pointed ears. She disappeared, and so did the view of the false night sky.

"Huh?" she muttered. "That... that was just like when Hael first appeared. Except now her name is Amitiel."

You congratulated her on becoming stronger. Amitiel signified her new power to overcome he weaknesses.

"Power? I'm really stronger now?" She looked speechlessly into her hands, as if she could hold onto some invisible form of energy. "Then I... I'll continue to do my best, Souji. Thank you so much for all the help."

With that, you felt an unbreakable bond between you two. Just knowing that the two of you would always have a place in each other's hearts was enough thanks to you.

* * *

(So uh... hospitals really do kind of suck. Not that I had to go for anything serious, but even staying there for days for pansy reasons, it sucks. I had the one from Scrubs in mind when writing this... xP)


	44. Chapter 44

(Super short because it doesn't really work with the next stuff. imo; also I'm running out of stuff to post again; blast.)

* * *

Chapter 44

"Mabufu!"

"No, wait!"

The octopi in Rage's dungeon had developed a resistance to ice; Devil Zukin was a bit late in telling her. You, Rage, Emi, Yuni, Akira, and Zukin had all made it into the first man's old dungeon to train. Emi was in need of learning new skills, while three of the others had stronger powers to try. Zero and Alice were unable to make it that Wednesday, but you still preferred a small group over a large one.

But having run into a problem with ice, you thought you would have to explore a different dungeon after the battle was over...

"Rage, what happened to your guy?" Yuni asked. "He looks like he just ripped his clothes off and got old."

"Psh, what about your Persona? She's like half Hidesato's size."

"Yeah, but she can kick-"

"Yuni, concentrate!" Akira scolded.

"Yeah, yeah."

You were partnered with Emi, much to Rage's dismay. You didn't want the fire and ice powers to mix and do nothing. You wanted to coach Emi into being a better fighter, and she seemed to be doing well with her weapons. Yet part because of the type disadvantage, she had barely learned any new spells. You encouraged her to think deeper, to try and learn something new.

"I can't!" she argued. "This is all so weird; all this," she defended against a small tentacle with her knife, "all this moving and concentrating," she slashed at an octopus, "I can't do both!"

She should treat it like a dance.

"Huh?"

She loved to dance, didn't she? All she had to do was what felt natural to her. This was only practice, after all; she didn't need to think hard about her Persona as much as she needed to feel its presence. It was there not only to protect her, but to guide her. All she had to do was rely on her inner self.

You hoped she had listened to what you said, but you wouldn't know for sure until she got better.

"Can't we try something else?" Emi said. "These octopi are really cute... I don't like hurting them."

"Cute when they're deep fried and seasoned," Rage joked. These matches were obviously far too easy for him...

So you proposed that your group venture to Yuni's odd dungeon...

-.

The criminal that you encountered on the first floor multiplied about fifty times. There were plenty of fast-moving enemies for you to fight. Not only were Emi's attacks finally doing damage, but Hidesato was working on his agility, which you noted had been much better than Benkei's, even if he was still the slowest Persona.

"Guojiu!"

Akira's dragon also seemed to increase in speed after growing, but no one was a match for the ever-fast Kishijoten. You could barely see her dart through the shadows of the dimly lit building; of course, you could barely see anything in the shadows without light from Guojiu's electricity or Hidesato's fire. You and Emi seemed to both be having the hardest time...

You used Futsunushi to outspeed the shadow thugs. His swords tore through their knife attacks and you took them down easily. Your concern wasn't so much with eliminating them as it was protecting Emi. With her multi-enemy attacks, she should've been fine, but she would need something stronger than Bufu to end them more quickly and easily.

"Hahaha, awesome!"

The temperature skyrocketed for a moment as you heard Rage's voice; you had to shield your face from a deep heat wave. You asked him to be more careful.

"C'mon Souji, that was Hidesato's strongest move! I would be pretty happy about that."

"Cool, Rage!" Emi said.

You told her not to encourage him...

"Quit showing off," Yuni said, "you're not the only one with a strong Persona!"

"All right, what can your girl do?"

Kishijoten teleported in front of Yuni. They looked at each other before nodding. Standing in front of Yuni, the Persona turned and faced a group of Shadows. Yuni and her partner posed with their hands folded as if it was some sort of ninjitsu; the Shadows were engulfed in dark auras and dropped like flies.

"Oh. That _is_ kinda cool."

"Hmmph," she mumbled confidently..

"And we already saw Akira destroy Hades. We need to bring Zero and Alice back in here and see what they've got."

"What about me?" Emi asked innocently.

"Ah, you're doing pretty good for your second time. Me and Yuni and Akira... we've done this like three times now, I think. A little more practice, and Nixie will be amazing, I'll bet."

She frowned, disappointed from his answer.

-.

Emi stopped you outside Yuni's mansion.

"Do _you_ think I'm strong enough?"

You didn't want to tell her no, or that the others were so strong that they would barely need her. Considering the latter half of that thought, you told her that she would probably be fine in the final battle the way she was.

"But I don't want to be fine... I want to be good. I want to be a big help to everybody..."

You had to tell her that her own power could only get her so far; if she wanted to truly be good in the other world, her Persona would need to be stronger. She and Nixie would need to learn to fight together so that her two sides would become one.

"I guess I see what you're saying. It's just... once I learned how to use Bufu, it was so comfortable to keep doing that. Mabufu was cool, but I could barely control it. Even Bufu almost got you and Zero hurt the other day. Just with stronger moves, I don't think I could be good enough."

She lacked confidence in herself. You could tell that she was afraid of the consequences of more power. Could it be her natural liking for the present that prevented her from moving forward in her abilities...?

"Maybe," she said. "Maybe I don't want to know what'll happen if I have to try different things. I don't like when things become different...

"But I was looking at Rage and the others. They were all getting stronger, and I felt like I was getting left behind. It's not just like that in fights; in real life, I'm supposed to be getting stronger and growing up. And I don't think I'm alone on that; everybody's growing up alongside me."

She had matured since you met her. You could sense an adventurous spirit in her.

"Even if I have to say goodbye to old stuff, I want to say hello to new things. I want to be with my friends as long as I can, and meet new ones in the future. Thanks to you and the others, I still have a future to look forward to. I won't let it go to waste!"

A sudden impulse beat through your body, changing the surroundings to a familiar empty space. You and Emi looked above and saw the tiny Nixie disappear; what reappeared what a much larger nymph-like creature with hair and garments made of crystals. You could see she was always smiling; that joyful Persona levitated for a second before fading away when you returned into reality.

Emi looked at you with wide eyes. "Did I... did I just get my new Persona?"

Happily, you confirmed it. She quickly hugged you, nearly tackling you to the ground in the process.

"This is amazing!" she said. "I won't let you down anymore, Souji! I promise!"

She released you and hopped backward. "Maybe we can train one more time on Friday. I'll see you then, okay?"

Sure, but was it okay to miss a day of DDR?

"I think it'll be okay. DDR was just what brought everybody together. But now we have this new way to be all one team and work for something. And don't forget, we have to help Robert's dad. When he's better, maybe Robert can play more DDR with us."

Of course, her motivations all came back to bringing people together. You hadn't expected anything else out of her; her bond with you had become unbreakable, after all.


	45. Chapter 45

(Hopefully making progress on the end... and yeah this and the last chapter should totally just be together.)

* * *

The weather was growing bleak. You knew it was going to rain later that night.

On Thursday, you decided to check on Zero. Had Alice managed to get through to him? Perhaps that was something you shouldn't bring up directly...

After asking around, you found him in a break room. He was alone, and the lights were dim. He seemed to prefer the faint light from the window; the sun could barely get through the clouds outside. You greeted him, and he nodded silently. His expression remained as emotionless as it was the day you met him; that was a bad sign to you. Hesitantly, you asked what happened to the girl.

"She's gone."

You apologized for asking.

"Don't be sorry about your concern." He sighed. "She survived the procedure, but her body was unable to recover entirely. She fell into a coma and died at around 3 A.M."

It pained you just to hear that; you could only imagine how hard it was for him to cope. Was he all right...?

He smirked. "You're not as great at talking as everyone says you are."

What? That was sort of uncalled for...

"Sorry. You're probably expecting me to be upset, but I've already had time to reflect. I've already talked to someone, in fact. I don't want to brood over her death anymore." He stopped, looking at the floor. "She had a loving family and a few friends, it seemed. They had all stopped to wish her luck in getting the operation done just before I performed it yesterday evening. I didn't want that to be the last time they saw each other. I wanted her to make it out alive. I was so sure that I had done enough, and then..."

He shook his head. "But I know she left this world in peace. She would be missed, but she would be remembered. In a way, she can continue to live on this earth through the memories of her loved ones."

He looked at you with a serious expression. "That is why it's pointless for people to die before they need to. Their memories will linger in everyone. It's selfish of someone to end a life early, and even more so for me to think that I should've been the one to do it in the TV world.

"People should live until they have no regrets. No one knows what the future holds for them. Even if their outlook is bleak, they may still have _one_ more thing, _one _more person to live a bit longer for."

His words were filled with new emotions. Zero could open up to you with ease, and he was happy that you were able to sympathize with him. He regained his confidence in his profession; he had pride that he had the special ability to help people live longer. He looked you with glistening eyes and spoke.

"I can't heal everyone, but I will do my best to give them the opportunity to live."

He jerked a little, gasping in surprise. The two of you looked up and saw Maion's image. His wings stretched as he was swallowed in a light that transformed him. His wings grew larger and lighter; his sword's blade was shining, and his hair broke free from the tie. The new Persona came with a new, gold and mint robe with flame-shaped designs.

He, too, had overcome his weaknesses, and formed an unbreakable bond with you.

"It's like... I have a new power," he said.

You told him it was his new Persona. Maion had evolved into something even stronger.

"I see. We're one step closer to the end." He nodded. "I think I'll stay here and rest while I can." A new, almost soft expression on his face turned to you. "Thanks."

-.

The rain had poured from the afternoon to the evening. You were about to open your umbrella just outside the door when-

"Tengoku."

You jumped from the sound; you felt silly for not realizing it was only Devil Zukin's eerily quiet voice from behind you. You faced her. More concerned about her health than her random word, you asked if she was all right from being out in the rain. How long had she been out, anyway?

"Tengoku. What does it mean to you?"

She ignored you in return. Well, "tengoku" was Japanese for heaven, if that's what she was referring to. Was this about the Song of Heaven you heard about?

"Now, ten go kyuu. What does that mean to you?"

You tilted your head. It was the same word with the last syllable altered. You thought about it for a second before she continued.

"It is a number, Souji."

Of course, then it was point five nine. After a moment, you remembered where you had seen that number before. Your eyes widened; she smiled from your reaction.

"You understand, now. That coincidence and Paranoia's words led me to believe that I am definitely linked to that song. Perhaps it's a part of me, or perhaps it and I are the same thing. Still, if a holy song is part of me... why am I tormented by my demon side?"

She didn't seem saddened or scared, only puzzled. You told her that her demon side was nothing to be ashamed of.

She smiled. "I know that now. Before I met you, I used to believe that being a demon was what separated me from being human. But after seeing the dark side of everyone, perhaps my dark side makes me _closer_ to being like everyone. We all have demons inside of us; it is in human nature to avoid being controlled by them. Inside, I am the selfish, obsessive, and dangerous monster you saw at the start of our adventure, but it is what makes me who I am. I am proud to be as flawed as everyone else."

She said her last words with a gentle smile. Her ruby red eyes glowed happily, despite the lack of light in raining sky. Her heart was filled with the joy and gratitude of a regular human being.

As with your human partners, her Persona had realized her change in heart. Zukin placed a hand on her chest, probably having felt something as the sky darkened instantly. She glanced above, where Ouze appeared. The Persona disappeared and reappeared as another being, clothed in a cloak with two curved spikes on her back and a blindfold over her eyes. Her chakra looked like an eye on her forehead, and she still retained her large ears at the sides of her head.

When the new Persona returned to Devil Zukin, she tried to feel it in her heart with her hands. "It's as if... I have a new power."

You nodded. Her face lit up, at least more so than it usually did.

"I will make use of this power, I promise you. After all, heaven is on our side."

-.

The rain outside your room was soothing white noise to your ears. After the long Thursday you had, you were ready to retire around 10:30. You locked the door for privacy to change clothes.

You heard a rumbling noise through your ears; it wasn't like thunder at all. Your floor vibrated gently beneath your feet; you felt a chill through your spine, telling you you weren't alone.

Paranoid, you scanned your room, not knowing what to look for. You held your arms up defensively as you spun in a circle, unable to find the source of the noise.

…!

Something grabbed at your ankles!

You nearly screamed, but something else covered your mouth and wrapped around your head. What was going on? You flailed your arms until they were quickly grabbed pulled downward. You could feel your body sinking, being pulled into the floor, as you were tightly engulfed in what felt like living quicksand. A shadow covered your eyes, leaving you blind and helpless. Your entire face was then covered, your chest was squeezed tightly; the lack of oxygen depleted your strength, and you limply gave into the darkness, believing you were going to die...


	46. Chapter 46

"Welcome back."

Your vision was blurry after you opened your eyes, but you instantly recognized the voice of Igor. Were you still alive...?

"Do not be alarmed. Your body is in an unconscious state. Fortunately, I can still summon you in spirit."

He waited for you to focus; it took you a few seconds before you were able to see straight. Even in this form, you could feel lingering pains from the shadow's attack, likely because it was still fresh in your memory.

"Know that as bad as this looks, your journey is not over," he began. "You are reaching the final stages of this battle. I suppose you would like the assistance of an old friend of yours, wouldn't you?"

You didn't speak aloud, but your lips mouthed a name.

_Izanagi..._

The last Persona that you could remember from Inaba formed in your mind. Your soul welcomed Izanagi no Okami back; you and he were one once again.

"Your allies have been getting stronger; it wouldn't make sense for you to be behind them, would it? This Persona wishes to aid you in your time of need.

"The last thing I can say is a word of advice: sometimes the greatest tactics are based purely on your instincts. This is the last time I can help you before the end. But if you make it to the end, I will meet you there. Until then, farewell."

Your vision became cloudy again; you were returning back to your real body...

-.

Your body hurt immensely. You didn't have any open wounds, but you felt like you were covered in bruises. As you remembered how badly constricted you had been, the pain worsened. Only after you took a second to lament over your pain did you realize you were locked in an uncomfortably hot prison cell. You tried to push yourself up, but your weak arms and legs couldn't support you, and you fell shortly onto the ground. You crawled to your right and used the wall as a support to get up a second time, but more slowly. You leaned against the wall as you walked to the bars to see just where you were.

The rest of the prison was cloudy, as if some sort of smog existed everywhere. No... it wasn't smog, it was static. You... were in the TV world alone! How would anyone come in without you?

You had to get out of there. You had no weapons, but you did have your Personas at your arsenal. At least one of them could get you through the bars. To ration your dwindling power, you decided not to use Izanagi no Okami right away.

_Loki!_

His powers were strong enough so that a small Bufu move could theoretically do the trick. He blasted a wave of ice at the bars that broke and faded into mist. But when the mist cleared, the bars were still there. Ice was probably not a wise choice for metal bars; you decided to try someone else.

_Mada!_

You wanted the magician's firepower to melt the bars. Not holding back, you commanded him to use Agidyne on the barrier. The fire cleared, and the bars looked unaffected. Perhaps they weren't constructed from metal after all... so if you used electricity, you should probably be unharmed.

_Odin!_

You rashly had him cast Ziodyne, hoping you could tell something different about the bars this time. Still, there was no scratch.

_Norn!_

Garudyne's winds failed to rip or bend the bars in any direction.

_Futsunushi!_

The violent sword slashes reflected off of the invincible material.

Exhausted from using power, you decided to give up. You fell back to the ground; you would need to try and rest before you could do anything else. The static around you gave you a headache, and the heat made you dizzy, so you closed your eyes and tried to ignore it. The static monotonously resonated through your ears, making you drowsy. Come to think of it, you weren't sure if your body had rested at all while you were unconscious. You wanted to come up with a plan, but somewhere in your thoughts, you fell asleep...

-.

_Click._

_Bang!_

You were startled by the sounds of clanking metal. Your eyes nearly opened, but your tired eyelids wouldn't allow it just yet.

"Souji! Are you okay?"

Emi's voice...? You wondered if it was a dream...

"All right, we found him!"

Why would you dream about Rage, though...?

"Here, give him these."

Akira...? You tried to open your eyes, but the world around you seemed so bright after that nap you tried to take. Someone lifted you into a sitting position, and someone else put glasses onto your face. You blinked a couple times before you looked forward to see Emi staring at you; hands around your head.

"You're okay!" she said. "Thank goodness."

You rubbed your shoulder, having slept on the hard floor for probably an hour or so, and looked behind you to see Akira. He, Emi, Rage, Yuni, Zero, Alice, and Devil Zukin had all come to get you.

But how? How did they manage to get in here?

"You got the power to get in the TV, right?" Rage asked.

"Your ability probably allows you to go in any sort of television," Devil Zukin began, "but as for Pluto and Hades... that is likely because any song can get into this world."

Did that mean... she got them in there?

"It seems so," she smiled. "It was the only chance we had at getting in here, so we gave it a try."

Zero stepped forward and knelt before you. "You've been using your powers, haven't you?" He must've been able to tell that your health was weak. His new, blindingly bright Persona descended from above and showered you in light, not having to touch you at all.

You felt a cool wave through your body, replenishing your energy and enabling you to stand again. You rotated your shoulder and stretched your arms. As quickly as the healing spell moved through you, the heat came back afterward. You looked around, wondering what kind of dungeon you were in. You stepped out of your cell and noticed that there had been a lock outside with a key in it; the others must have found the key and opened the door when they got there. It seemed there was no way to break the cell open otherwise.

You couldn't ignore the heat wave that surrounded you. It felt as if you were in a burning building, but you couldn't see any flames. There was an open door that let to an orange environment, likely where the heat was coming from.

"We came in from there," Emi started. "There's lots of stuff on fire."

"But Emi's Persona was great at putting them out," Rage commented.

Should you assume that it was best to leave the way they came? Could Devil Zukin sense anything?

"I know Pluto is here," she said. "Hecate can hear him, but his sound is very distant. I know that we need to go back through that area, but we will not make it to our enemy for a while."

You nodded. You were unsure if they wanted you as their leader again, seeing as they seemed to do fine without you...

"What are you talking about?" Yuni said. "If it weren't for Zukin, these men would've gotten us lost. Please help us out again!"

"You can't be talking about me," Rage argued. "It was Zero's idea to go through that dead-end cave."

"I didn't want to die from that fire power you pointlessly unleashed at the _fire_ monsters," Zero defended.

"That wasn't me, that was um..."

"I'm sorry!" Alice whimpered, "I won't use win again, I promise!"

"It's okay, it's okay."

All right, then. You reclaimed your spot as the leader. Akira gave you your sword, and you prepared Loki in your mind to fare against the fire monsters that waited for everyone on the other side of that doorway. You asked Zukin if she could assist you in leading the way, to which she silently agreed before stepping by your side.

All together, you were ready for your last journey.

-.

You were ultimately confused. You weren't running through a room, but rather a world made of stones and fire, like the inside of a volcano. Seemingly harmless rocks would rise from the ground as monsters. You were well-guarded by your allies, but most of the credit had to be given to Emi and Selkie, who were finally able to use new moves together.

"Use Mabufula!"

Ice blocks formed around the walking rocks; they cracked and melted at the same time. You told Emi that she didn't have to push herself so much; as long as the monsters were weak to her element, they would retreat long enough to get everyone through. Still, you continued to freeze your way through the area with Loki's mere Mabufu ability to assure that she didn't have too many Shadows to fight alone.

Fires repeatedly rose from the cracks in the ground; you knew this when rocks vibrated beneath your feet. You knew the dungeons represented each person, and you wondered if these fires were some sort of hell created by Pluto. If he was related at all to Hades, it would make sense...

"Aahh!"

The flaming geysers were becoming more frequent, and the usually graceful Yuni had stumbled backward when a rock shot up next to her foot. You instructed everyone to come closer together; somewhere in your pondering, your team had split up unintentionally. You frantically looked around for the others; you could see Yuni and Zukin close behind you. Akira was a few meters back, trying to catch up. You could see mist behind them from Emi's ice; while her efforts to douse fires were effective, the mist made it impossible for you to find the rest of your team. You stopped, hoping they would catch up.

Emi arrived. You asked if she knew the whereabouts of the others.

"They're all back there?" she asked worriedly. She looked back. She began to step back into the flames and mist, but was stopped when a burning Shadow rose from beneath a layer of rocks and blocked her path.

"Rage! Alice! Zero, can you hear me? Akira!" She continued to scream, even as the Shadow's flames rose. You told her to get out of the way, or she would get hurt.

"No! I have to get them back! I have to!" You could see Selkie materialize behind her; the Persona's body glowed a neon blue.

"Bring them back!"

A powerful pulse of ice spread across the ground, even hitting you. You felt a sharp chill on your feet as a sheet of ice covered your shoes just before melting into water. The powerful Bufu spell destroyed all of the monsters and geysers in a large radius, though you could still hear fire in the distance. Nevertheless, the area around you was cooler (which wasn't actually saying much); as the mist began to clear, you could see your missing teammates running to you.

You saw Emi kneel to the ground; she must've exhausted herself. You knelt behind her and tried placed your hands on her shoulders, asking if she was okay.

"Y-yeah, I'm all right," she answered shakily.

"Damn it, Emi," Rage scolded, "you've been doing this since we first got in here. You gotta hold back more. Zero can't give you that magic kind of power back."

"Oh, heh... sorry."

"You may feel dizzy," Zero began, "but your physical stamina is fine. You're probably low on the power to use spells."

You helped her up, although she didn't seem like she needed your help. When you were sure she was stable, you declared that you should all rush forward before the Shadows came back.

"It seems Emi's power opened up a new path," Zukin said. You looked her way and then turned to the direction she was looking. There, you could see a cave with embers circling the entrance. Perhaps it had been blocked by fire just beforehand. You hesitantly stepped closer to the hole, believing that everyone else would follow you. As you walked through the path inside, it quickly became so dark that it was impossible to see.

"Hey, I got this," Rage declared. "Everyone, stand back."

"How?" Yuni argued. "I don't even know where you are."

You heard Rage hit someone.

"That wasn't me."

"Who'd I hit?"

You heard Zero grumble.

"Oh, sorry."

The way his voice echoed made it impossible to determine how far away from him you were. You proposed that everyone split up until no one was within arms' reach of each other.

"I think everybody got back," Rage started. "All right, time for Hidesato to show off!"

He shouldn't show off too much; all you needed was a little light.

The Persona materialized, glowing with embers. He didn't need any additional Agi spells to make everything visible. The cave looked linear; you were relieved to avoid exploring an impossible maze. Everyone gathered around Hidesato, and once you regrouped, you asked Rage to lead the way. He agreed and walked in front of you.

-.

Minutes later, quite long after the entrance disappeared from your sight, you had come out of some sort of crater in a hill. You and Rage carefully stepped out before running down the steep surface, while the others did the same behind you two. You were in a rough, rocky world, mainly filled with smoke. The atmosphere had cooled off considerably; it was only about as warm as a humid summer afternoon, even though the sun in the sky was absent. With no fires in sight, you had no idea where the smoke was coming from, but it was difficult to breathe.

_Whoosh!_

A large, strong wind cleared the smoke. You could then see that you were in some sort of crackled desert. It didn't look like there was a right way to go. You turned back and saw the other behind you, as well as Alice's Persona in the air. You thanked her for her help.

"It was kind of stuffy, s-so I hope it helped," she said.

You reminded everyone to stay close. You summoned Norn by your side to continue to blow away the thick air as you continued forward, trying not to go in any sort of circle. Why was this so different from the previous world...? Where was Pluto hiding?

"There is a path below us," Zukin stated. "Hecate can see monsters below, but they cannot come up."

"That's kinda pointless," Rage mumbled. "Unless they expect us to come down there."

That was probably the case. You couldn't see anything of interest in front of you, making it frustrating to find some way to get beneath the surface of this world. You trudged through the hot world, slowly so as not to miss anything. As you kept going, you wondered if you were even traveling in a straight line...

The ground began to vibrate. Did you find the entrance?

From the crackled soil rose a monster, just where you stood. You jumped back, pulled out your sword, and tried to strike it, but you couldn't put a dent in its skin. You asked your allies to try their powers while you ran to the back of your group.

Just after you finished your command, you saw a dark aura encircle the rising, bulky humanoid being made entirely of the terrain. You could see into its empty eyes once the black smoke vanished, having no effect.

"Shoot," Yuni pouted.

Akira stepped in front of her and called Goujiu's electric powers, offering only a little of what power he had. A wise choice, you thought, considering the sparks did nothing to effect it either.

It was essentially a walking rock, so you suggested that Emi try her ice moves.

"Okay. Selkie, come help!" she shouted, knifing her Persona's card. Selkie cast an ice spell that froze your opponent from its core. The water froze and, upon expanding inside it, caused it to burst into pieces.

"Yay!"

You were happy for her... until you heard Zukin gasp.

"No," she mumbled.

You looked at its remains; each rock that fell was like a seed, and from the rocks sprouted more monsters from the ground. Having gone through several elements now, your mind scrambled for a solution, as the monsters began to spread and surround your group, although at a very slow pace.

Peering at their feet, you noticed they left new rocky crater in the surface. They had to spawn from the terrain... therefore, if enough of them rose from one spot, they could possibly open a hole that you could go through.

"Are you sure?" Yuni asked. "We might just be asking for trouble!"

You asked your teammates to do their best to herd them into the dip. Your group proceeded to attack by physical means, angering the ground demons. Emi would use her small Bufu spells to kill the ones that were deepest in the hole. Sure enough, the crater became deeper, but the monsters exponentially increased in numbers. Their only means of offense were their heavy hammer-shaped limbs; their poor speed was nothing to handle until large monsters towered over you. You had so many after you that their strikes became nonstop; your only hope was that Futsunushi would be able to protect you.

_Crackle..._

You glanced to the sound's source.

"Guys, I think I got it!"

Emi and the rock monsters must have broken through the surface. It was difficult for you to navigate your way to her, and you assumed the others were having a problem as well. You shouted your command: Emi will mass destroy all the monsters, and you would all rush into the hole before they had time to spawn.

"Uh, all right," the girl said nervously. "Everybody ready?"

"Get 'em!" Rage yelled.

In seconds, rocks were flying in every direction. Mist from the ice clouded your vision, until Alice blew everything away with Amitiel's aid. You knew where Emi was, and ran in that direction. She wasn't there, but she had probably already gone down the hole. You shouted at everyone to follow you, mainly so that they could hear your voice and find their way. As you ran, you slipped in the steep crater and slid into the dark hole.

After falling on the ground, Emi pulled you up. It took some time to focus in the dark, but there were glowing rocks around you. Rage, Yuni, Akira, Zero, Alice, and finally Devil Zukin found you shortly afterward. Several monsters should've fallen with Emi, though. You asked her what happened to them.

"Oh, see," she began, kicking the floor. "We're not on the planet's surface anymore, so I blew them up again. They can't come back once they're down here."

You smiled and thanked her for being of such help. But this was the second time she had saved your team... was she all right?

"I feel all right," she said. "How about you guys? Did they hurt you?"

There were a number of groans from the rest of your group.

"We didn't have much of a way to defend ourselves," Akira commented.

Rings of light appeared and orbited your teammates, one at a time, and all of the lights faded as they restored your stamina. You saw Zero's Persona for a second, majestically holding its sword like a staff, before the angel hid back inside Zero.

"Does that thing have a name?" Rage asked.

"Raziel," Zero responded. "Does it matter?"

Rage grumbled. "Just a question. So... what's ahead?"

You reminded him that the Shadows Zukin detected earlier were likely at your level. You didn't feel safe in the dim light and asked Rage to light the cave as before. He agreed and, with excess vigor, summoned his card and slammed it open to bring Hidesato back. Regardless of his aid, you knew that your other teammates could probably still see, and you ordered Yuni and Akira to be at the back, knowing that Goujiu's electricity could briefly light the way and that he worked well with Yuni.

Meanwhile, you and Rage followed the linear hallway. Although Hidesato's excess heat kept your left side too warm for your liking, the rest of your body could feel that the air below the surface was getting cooler. You wondered how different your other teammates felt, but it didn't seem problematic. Rather, what did this signify? You began in a hellish burning zone and you eventually wound up in a dark, cool cave.

You began to mumble aloud... it was as if you were distancing yourself from the sun.

"Huh?" Emi asked. "What do you mean?"

"I think I understand," Akira began. "Perhaps that's Souji's explanation for the changes in scenery in Pluto's world."

You heard a few "mms" and "ahhs," none of which seemed very enthused. Were they tired or uninterested...?

Concentrating again on what was in front of you, you saw a shadow in the distance. It seemed very small but fast. You couldn't quite make out its shape.

"Aha!" Rage exclaimed, voice echoing. "We found something!" He grabbed his shield and ran forward with Hidesato, taking the Persona's light with him. You called for him to stop, and he slid to a halt; he quickly stepped back, off balance, as if he was afraid to go forward all of a sudden. The rest of you caught up to him and noticed that he stopped at a staircase.

You stared at green, ghost-like Shadows, armored in crystalline armor... and the nearest ones stared back at you.

In few seconds, they floated up the stairs and charged for your group, carrying their own weapons made out of a cross between diamond and ice. You heard your allies scatter, but you courageously pulled out your sword and fought back, though inside you were scrambling to come up with directions. You knew nothing about their strengths and weaknesses, or if they had any at all. You asked your right-hand comrade if his fire could do anything to them.

"Trying," you heard him yell from behind you. A flash of hot fire later, he continued. "It's doing something, should I keep, agh, doing it?"

Everyone should try their elements at least once. Each of them had their own spells, essentially they filled the entire spectrum of elements. You felt it was unfair for you to save your spirit power while they used theirs, but you wanted to make sure you had all the power you could for your secret weapon in the end...

"Their bodies quickly burn from the fire," Zukin commented.

"That's all I need to know," Rage said.

"Everybody look out!" Yuni shouted.

Quickly, you plummeted to the floor, expecting Rage's flames to spread around you. The room's temperature skyrocketed, and you could hear your opponents singing instantly into ashes. You heard Rage yell in surprise, but you didn't worry too much, for he likely had an immunity to fire. You waited for the light of the flames to dim before you rolled on your back and watched the remaining Shadows burn away.

"That was crazy!" Rage exclaimed. "The fire got bigger even after Hidesato stopped! I didn't hurt anyone, did I?"

"We're okay," Emi answered on behalf of everyone. You saw the others rise from lying positions much like yours; had it not been for your practices beforehand, your teammates may not have known the drill for Rage's fire.

Once you stood, you began to quickly step down the stairs. Rage and the others followed close behind you.

Slow, strong guard Shadows lined the path. As Rage incinerated them without thinking, you reached in your soul for the shining card of your Persona Mada. Before casting anything, you asked Alice to assist you two men. Rage stopped burning the room so that Alice could catch up to you. You grabbed onto her small, soft wrist so that you wouldn't lose her and kept running down the hallway. You and Alice worked in sync; once you noticed a guard, the two of you would cast Agi and Garu simultaneously. Rage fell back after a minute or so; you believed he had exhausted his spirit power.

You noticed that the enemies were falling faster than you expected. That was likely because... you were out of them. You destroyed about seven or so rocks of ice that you'd confused for armor before you noticed that the ice pieces had no owners. You released Alice's wrist, and she stayed by your side. You slowed your pace so the others could catch up. The only sounds louder than your racing heartbeat were the other teammates gasping for breath; soon enough, you found a door that looked camouflaged at a dead end in the rocky cave.

After taking a moment to search for a doorknob that didn't exist, you cautiously pushed open the door, although you felt temporarily safe as long as Zukin didn't sense any enemies. On the other side, it looked as if the cave had broken into the air. You had a path laid out for your team made of a bridge of rocks bound together with icy crystals. The bridge floated in an empty space with scattered tiny stars and a light at the end. It was the only direction you could go in. Having no other choice, you slowly kept going forward.

In the dim glow of the stars, you could see your breath form into white mist. You looked behind you; it was the same for everyone. It couldn't have been that cold; even as your heart rate began to slow down, you weren't freezing at all.

"This must be a distorted reality," Devil Zukin said. "The ice around us is about as effective as the fire on the sun."

It made sense to you, as opposed to a normal person who wouldn't understand how any of you could walk out of the TV world alive. You weren't protected, however, from the slippery ground. You kept going slowly, successfully avoiding any falls. You swore you heard Rage and Emi yelp a few times just before a few loud stomps, but your other teammates remained silent. You, once again, asked how their condition was.

"That last rush kinda took a lot out of me," Rage answered in between breaths.

"Same here," Yuni said. "Kishijoten got through a lot, but it cost a lot of power."

"You should fall back a bit more," Akira told her.

"He's right," Emi agreed. "We were all there to help."

"I couldn't let you do it," Yuni protested. "After all you did in the beginning. You were pretty amazing."

As for the other two?

"I'm fine," Alice said quickly.

Was she really? After all you had asked of her minutes ago?

She nodded. "I didn't use up a lot of energy, and you helped a lot."

Zero waited a few seconds before chiming in. "Don't worry about me," he mumbled.

You looked back to see if you could see any sign of exhaustion. Neither his voice nor his face showed anything.

"I feel"... that he is very close."

You turned your attention to Devil Zukin, as did everyone else.

"These are likely the last few steps before we reach Pluto. Do not take Souji's concern lightly."

"No sweat," Rage declared. "As long as all of us are teamed up, there's nothing we can't handle."

"Besides," Zero muttered, "we couldn't turn back if we wanted to."

He pointed ahead of you. There was a door in front of you, and nothing but a door. In other dungeons, you had that small portal so that you could leave and rest, but it was obviously no where to be seen. You felt tense, having finally reached the last battle. You trembled a little… but not because you were nervous. You finally felt the cold around you; a draft seeped through the glowing cracks of the door.

"So? You ready, buddy?" Rage asked. "We're right behind you."

You turned back and smiled, and you declared that it was time to go in.

* * *

(And sadly, the exploration was the easy part to write.)


	47. Chapter 47

(... I'm tired of rereading this. xP)

* * *

The walls were fully covered in glistening ice. The moment you walked in, every part of your body felt the temperature drop. You clenched your teeth and fists, and you continued on a linear bridge to the center of the tall cylindrical room. There was an endless drop bordering its circular stage-like center.

In the middle, you saw a man in a white and aqua-lined robe with a faded light blue sash. The same blue color was softly splattered on his clothes, making the fabric a blend of two colors instead of pure white. He stood in the middle patiently, staring at the nonexistent ceiling, which was really nothing more than a light from above.

"Congratulations."

Although you were surprised that he noticed you, you continued to get closer.

"With all that you've gone through before encountering me, I was confident that you would make it this far." He turned to your team, causing your group to stop. His face took on features from your teacher -at least his eyes and his jaw- making Emi gasp.

"What did you to do Mr. Reddot?" Emi asked.

"My vessel?" he asked in return. "The man will be no more once I'm finished with all of you."

"You're not gonna take us down!" Yuni shouted. "We've got the power to kick your butt!"

"I'm well aware of that. And you can thank me for it."

What?

"You haven't pieced it together, have you? Allow me to explain from the beginning...

"I was a song: only a sound with no human qualities. As dancers, you all possess the ability to_ feel_ the rhythm and tune of music in the same manner as feeling emotions. That bridge between sound and emotion is exactly what I need to translate my power as a song into something physical outside this world. Your alternate selves, created in this world, contain not only your hidden emotions but your hidden talents. My plan was to gather your powers so that I could become not only the ultimate song, but the ultimate _being _in the real world."

"Then... it was all a trap," Alice muttered.

"It's only a trap if we can't get out of it," Rage shouted. "We came here for one reason and one reason only, and that's to beat this guy!"

"You will die trying."

An invisible force lifted him into the air, and his long garment swayed downward in ruffles. You felt it was time to attack!

_Persona!_

One by one, your allies' other sides appeared above. Though everyone was ready, you hesitated until Zukin detected the strengths and weaknesses of Pluto.

"He... he isn't Pluto," she started.

"You're correct," the enemy said. "Pluto was destroyed by Hades a year ago. I came back, seeking power."

Destroyed?

"My old self was an erratic, confusing sound; I wasn't challenging enough to be the boss song I wanted to be, and I was too bizarre to be deemed a normal song. I had no place in the DDR world, and I envied the others. I wanted to be more than a pathetic excuse for a boss. But Hades condemned my wish. That devil song had more strength, more power than I, and I couldn't defeat it in the game. But I waited for Hades to let its guard down. When the time was right, I found a boy, one who played the game with his heart as well as his mind. I wanted him, and I took him for myself when he found me."

"How does a song... how did you _take _him?" Rage interrupted. You were all too interested to destroy Pluto just yet.

"It happens when you make a connection. You must listen to us and play the game with your heart as well as your mind to be united. My old self was able to make it into his soul the day he played my song. But Hades was suspicious of me, so I hid in the boy's father. It was difficult, but once I had a part of the boy's emotions, I was able to cross bodies via his connection to his father, something the mindlessly violent Hades couldn't do without any of its own feelings. Once it got into his body, Hades was chained to one person... that was, until you dancers released it back into this world.

"Meanwhile, I fed on the man's emotions to build my own; his impulses and thoughts gave me power in your world. I found the first victim in this man's mind: a girl he knew too well, and he believed his son was spending too much time with her. Deep down, he wanted her to disappear. With a small spark of his willpower, I was able to grant his wish.

"I heard a lot about you, Souji Seta. You were going to be the second victim, had I not formed my plan. It appeared that when a human was pulled into that world, their song would live in the game. I was told of that man," he pointed to Rage. "I only needed to know that this father didn't want his son associating with someone who didn't finish college and, more importantly, that he had been playing this game for a long time. I decided he would be more fit to fall."

You could swear you heard music playing...

"But he didn't fall. You saved him from becoming a sound, and he and that girl developed a new kind of power. I wanted it even more than his song... and so, I kept going, pulling everyone that the man and I willed to be taken away into a black hole. All these people the boy saw as friends, the man, fueled by my vengeance and hatred, saw as enemies..."

An ominous piano... was this the song of Pluto?

"One by one, their hearts were forming into monsters... monsters that turned into powers that I could obtain. Your powers can give life to music, and if I gather those powers, I can develop a 'life' of my own."

The music sounded so much like Pluto, but it wasn't...

"I am Pluto Relinquish: the boss of the universe!"

His voice rose, and you prepared to fight once more. He was no longer holding back. You could hear his song more clearly now; the room pulsed from what sounded like an irregular heartbeat, granting you a slight feeling of heat with each vibration. The song's loud percussion crashed as an icicle fell from above and hit the ground in sync.

"He is made of ice," Zukin shouted. "The low temperature of room amplifies his power. Try to heat the area as best as you can."

You and Rage only took one glance to know what you each needed to do. Alice skipped to the front and scooted close to your side.

_Mada!_

Mada and Hidesato levitated, side by side. Amitiel rose even higher, ready with a swirling ball of air to aid them.

"Burn everything!" Rage shouted.

Two rapid bursts of flames from your Personas grew into a raging fire that raced across Amitiel's winds; it looked like an explosion went off above your head and traveled in a circular plane. The brief heat was just that, however, and in the time it took the three of you to recharge, Pluto blew the troublesome embers from his robe with a sheet of ice.

You needed something different. Had he any resistances?

"Only avoid using ice," you heard from Zukin. "Used offensively, it will only increase his power."

"But I can still protect everyone, right?" Emi asked.

She should protect herself as much as the others. You feared the consequences if _any_ one of you were to fall into Pluto's hands.

In these precious seconds, the other Personas had already begun to fight. Yuni's Persona ran circles around Pluto, and Akir ahad Goujiu briefly charge an electrical sphere. A decoy from the ninja, it seemed, but a bit too obvious for Pluto. The song ignored Kishijoten and waved his hand between the dragon and himself, creating a thin shield of ice that blocked the electricity and shattered upon contact.

In the background, Amitiel also snuck up behind Pluto, and she created a wind so strong that Kishijoten rode it. With her claws bared, she was launched at full speed into Pluto's back and began violently tearing him apart. She dug into his robe and skin before he cloaked himself in ice. His protective ice body expanded and broke, sending the ninja onto the floor, but not without blood dripping from Pluto's right shoulder.

He was weakened; was it already time to launch your final attack?

He stopped the blood by coating his shoulder in an ice rock. His limb seemed immobile, but you knew he had more powers at his arsenal. Hidesato guided an Agidyne spell that exploded beneath Pluto's feet. You saw steam rise from the quickly extinguished flames.

The only way you could damage body was to work together. Still, as long as you kept launching attacks in his direction, he had no time to act offensively.

You instructed Zero to use a bright almighty spell and aim for Pluto's head. You shouted Akira's name, hoping he needed no other words to know to strike. Then you shouted to Alice and waved your arm downward.

Their attacks happened at nearly the same time: the light from Megidola blinded Pluto, who protected himself with another shield of ice; from above came both Akira's Zionga and Alice's Garudyne; the force of the wind blew downward and smashed through the weak ice and sent Pluto into the ground, where he was hit by the lighting in under a second.

You couldn't stop there. Your planned team attack hadn't thought this far ahead, so you took matters in your own hands and burned Pluto with Mada's Agidyne attack.

"Rage, look out!"

SMASH!

An icicle fell; had Emi not shouted, you would've assumed it was part of Pluto's song. Yet you looked at her, then at Rage, who had been caught by an icicle and frozen in place. You'd forgotten that the icicles were falling on their own! Was it safe to burn him out of that? You ran backwards, distancing yourself from your enemy before running in Rage's direction.

A low siren began to sound in the song...

From the corner of your eye, you could see a fiery glow. From... what? You were the only remaining fire user left... weren't you?

"AA-!"

Your head bolted to Emi. Embers scattered from her body just before another icicle trapped her in place. What was...?

You heard Devil Zukin shout in a panicked voice. "Pluto has Hidesato's power!"

Another glance at Rage's body showed that the color from his skin was gone. There was no use breaking him free now.

Yuni screamed and furiously tried to take on Pluto with Kishijoten running at her side. Your mind scrambled for a plan around the two of them, but Yuni was a bit unpredictable. You glanced at Akira, assuring yourself that he was going to back her up from a distance. You saw Pluto create a ring of fire, so you kept from switching Personas until he finished casting Maragion.

Pluto's newly acquired fire burned across the room, though it wasn't nearly enough to melt the ice, or even raise the temperature for long. Still, Mada absorbed his power. Filled with vitality, you began to summon your secret weapon...

You closed your eyes and focused, putting your trust in Izanagi and granting him part of your mind. You were oblivious to the scene around you, and you could only hope you had enough time to summon him. You could feel pressure around your waist...

Long seconds later, Izanagi no Okami burst into the air above you. Just as you opened your eyes, you felt yourself being released, or rather thrown out of someone's arms. You went into shock as you witnessed an icicle fall right in front of you and onto Akira, who had saved you..

You knew he would face the same fate as Rage. Already having ice spells, he likely didn't need Emi when he caught her, but you feared for Alice, who was weak to electricity.

No matter, you had the power of the World arcana with you. You took a second to Mind Charge...

"Listen!" Zukin shouted to the remaining teammates. "His power is sound; his weakness is in his silence. Wait for-!"

She, too, was captured by an icicle shortly after. It was then when you realized that just after that smashing sound, there were no noises for nearly one second. Could that be the opening you were supposed to listen for?

The pulses began to quicken. Your heartbeat raced, but you could barely feel it over the vibrations across the room. Perhaps it was the excited beat of Pluto's heart, believing he was closer to victory.

By then, you felt the speed of the music. You could imagine an eight-count in your head, and moved your fingers to the pulses. On the seventh was when an icicle was most likely to fall, but it wasn't every seventh. The song, composed of your fallen friends' powers, became embedded in your memory, and when it began to repeat, you could predict the crashes. The only problem was the small timing window wasn't long enough to use an attack, and you knew Pluto would be after you if you stood still.

The two remaining girls ran in front of you. Were they seeking protection?

"Hurry up and call that big guy again, Souji!" Yuni commanded. "You can take him!"

"W-we're here for you," Alice said.

"Get back," Zero ordered. "Pluto has Hecate; he can exploit your weakness."

Alice frowned. Amitiel rose from behind her, and invisible energy played with the two girls' hair. You heard sparks flying in the distance and looked at Pluto, without even a second to spare before he launched a ball of electricity in your direction. You braced yourself, but felt no impact. A loud crash sounded in front of you, and you caught a glimpse of a shattered Blue Wall that protected you. Of course, you remembered: Amitiel had defensive skills.

_One..._

Still, no amount of defense could protect you from the godly icicle that fell. Yuni ran to your opponent. You saw a White Wall above your head. The bump-like sounds you previously followed were irregular, but there were smaller crash-like beats that followed the speed of the song exactly...

_Two..._

They were less than a second apart. You closed your eyes. You had to trust your team...

_Three..._

You knew it was coming, and you prepared your power...

_Four..._

These slower sounds followed a different count; the icicle would be on the eighth, not the seventh...

_Five..._

Shields were breaking above your head; you were lifted to safety yet again, but in the air, perhaps by Raziel. The sixth beat was coming...

_Six..._

Your massive almighty attack manifested above Pluto. He guarded himself, but you knew his weakness. His heartbeat pulsed at about four times its speed as he panicked.

You heard his shield smash; it was one of your teammates' work.

_Seven..._

_Megidola!_

_Bump._

_Bump._

_Bump._

_CRASH!_

The majestic light exploded on top of him; the icicle's crash and your spell merged into one large explosive noise. The floor rumbled as the ice formerly imprisoning your friends crackled into shards. You stared into the destruction from your aerial view as Izanagi's power softly carried you back to the floor, yet this was no time to celebrate a victory.

Once you landed, you ran to the fallen man in the center. The room was collapsing, and you had to get him out of there quick!

Pluto had fallen face down on the floor, arms and legs limply spread out. You asked him if he was all right, not so much to hear his answer, but to hear if he was Pluto or the man who owned the body. You knelt closely to get a close look.

His eyes were still Pluto's. What could you do...?

"I won't die here," he muttered weakly.

He had been defeated, hadn't he...?

"I can't... be in your world.I have to stay on this side of reality..."

He tilted his head to you. "But remember me... when we meet again."

His head fell to the ground, and small wave of white energy transformed him into Robert's father. Without hesitation, you got lower on the floor and tried to pull him over your shoulders. Zero came to help you, and as you ran to Zukin and Hecate, you saw that the other men and Emi were barely able to make it out themselves, still weak from the ice. Hecate created a void that you and the others were able to walk into, rescuing you from the world that was about to collapse...


	48. Chapter 48

(Final stage... I mean, chapter)

* * *

_The man was asleep as you took him to Robert's home. He had awakened from his unconscious state some time after Rage and Akira got him in Yuni's limousine, where you had to make up a story about how you found him passed out in the city._

_When you arrived at his house that Friday night, the boy ran outside to greet you, eager to see his father safe._

_"I... I don't know how to thank you," he said to you._

_The only thanks you needed was for Robert to keep this a secret. After retelling him the false story that you told his father, you were too exhausted to ask for anything else._

-.

Days passed. You were about halfway through November when you rescued your teacher, and he took Monday off, claiming in an e-mail that he was sick and had to catch up on grading.

He relayed several questions to Robert about his whereabouts on Wednesday night, which was apparently the last day he could remember. You kept making up pieces of the story, until you haphazardly convinced him that you found him at the arcade, guessing that some kids had played a cruel reckless prank on him that knocked him out. You didn't know what to do, so you kept him at Yuni's mansion until he began to wake up... several days later. You could count about ten thousand holes in your story, but you kept a great distance from your teacher, hoping he would never ask about the rest. Emi was lucky that she wasn't in Yuni's car when he woke up...

-.

"AAAAAAGH! YES! YES!"

Rage had an unusual cheer whenever he beat someone in a competitive DDR match. He was even more enthusiastic when it was at such a difficult song, thanks to the random wheel.

"I beat you this time! Suck it!" He was actually talking to the machine, or specifically at the results screen of Pluto Relinquish. He and Gus were covered in sweat, gasping and leaning on the bar as if they had no legs while staring at a pair of Cs, but they were happy to have both passed the song.

"Take it easy!" Gus yelled. "You're really getting into this. It's getting kinda weird."

"You have no idea," Rage said, as they got off the machine.

"So what was last week about?" the mohawk man demanded. "I was the only one who showed up!"

Gus was probably the only regular player that really didn't know about the other world. Even Maid Zukin learned of what happened from her near-sister, so you came to an agreement with the others to finally tell him. You tried telling what happened over the arcade sound effects, with Rage butting in every other sentence, having his own bit of input.

"... yeah, I was out for that part," he said at the end, when you spoke of Pluto. "But I helped, you know, before the guy got me."

"... quit screwing with me," Gus reacted, with an expression of disbelief. "People with superpowers and stuff? That's for video games and movies."

"He's not joking," Akira seconded for you. "But you probably had to see it to believe it."

"I wonder," Emi said, staring at the ceiling for some sort of answer. "What would Gus's Persona be like?"

"It would probably have glasses and spiked-up hair," Rage simply proposed. "After that, I don't know."

"You guys aren't serious, are you?" The man still couldn't believe you.

"I'd rather know what his Shadow was like," Yuni butted in. "C'mon, what's your deepest, darkest secret?"

"I'm not gonna tell you," he argued. "Besides, secrets aren't cool when they stop being secrets."

The blonde stuck her tongue out at Gus. Maybe he would believe you all one day, but that was actually the truth, and you would stick with it.

As Emi and Yuni raced to the machine, Zukin came to your side. "I want to let you know," she began, "that the other world is closed off to me. It seems there really is nothing to fear anymore."

You thought she was right. You would spend the rest of your college year like any other student from then on...

"Oh yeah, Souji," Rage called. "About that party I mentioned a while back..."

You had no idea how to get to Disco's building, but most of the people in the town were able to help you. They would say things like "it's that loud place," "the place on the corner that never sleeps," "where all those cars block the road," and other phrases that made it sound troublesome to the city. But they always said it with a smile; it must've actually been popular with everyone.

When you arrived, the music was incredibly loud, but you recognized the song from DDR. Robert had come with you, but you boys split up to find different people. You scouted the room for someone you knew and managed to find Rage with Gus, and they waved at you. You asked them what song was playing... was it a DKC song?

"Yeah, Taj He Spitz," Rage confirmed. "Nice catch; we don't play that a lot."

"Sorry about giving you a hard time with your story," Gus told you. "But I_ am_ pretty mad you left me outta that. It sounded amazing."

"You couldn't fight anyway without facing your Shadow," Rage yelled over the background noise, "and you're uptight about having secrets."

You scanned the room while Rage continued to explain what a Shadow was to Gus, exposing pieces of everyone's dark side. Of course you had expected Rage and Gus to show up, and likely Emi, whom Robert was looking for. Yuni would likely attend with Akira... Alice may have been with Emi... were Zero and Devil Zukin the types to come to a party? Before then, you assumed Devil Zukin would've been around Rage, but maybe she was giving him some space.

"Hey, what are you just standing around for?" You heard an excited feminine voice and noticed that Yuni was standing to your right. "This is a party, so dance!"

Then you remembered you had no idea how to dance without arrows.

"There's nothing _to know_. C'mon, try it with me." She pulled you out onto the dance floor by both of your hands, and you hesitantly stumbled in her direction.

She stopped abruptly before running into some stranger. You watched Yuni stamp her feet a few times, circling her hips over her dominant leg. Upon finding the first beat of the count, she clapped her hands, and her whole body began to move. She lifted her arms quickly and allowed them to fall slowly while the lower half of her body swayed and rocked to the sound.

"You're not even trying!" she yelled.

She wanted you to do _that_...? You had too much testosterone to even _have _hips that moved like hers did. But you watched her feet; now that she wasn't restricted by the arrows, she kicked and tapped her feet in many directions. All right, surely your legs could do that. You nodded your head, and pretended you were playing the song on DDR. You felt a little awkward, stepping as if there were only four safe spots beneath you.

"Hey, there you go!" Yuni praised. "Just do whatever comes naturally to you."

Just as you thought you were understanding the song, it came to an end. The next one was much faster. What was it...

There were no vocals to identify it by, but the blend of repetitive high and low sounding beats reminded you that it was the song S-A-G-A. Well, at least it was another masculine song.

Just as before, you had to relearn the speed of the song. You were arching your back up and down, delving into the hard sound of the music.

The music began to get faster. You listened and adapted to the challenge, moving your arms rather than your comparably slow legs. Instead of swinging your legs, you hopped using your heels and toes. Even so, the song was progressing to a ridiculous speed, and you couldn't help but think you were doing this wrong.

As the song slowed back to a sensible BPM, you calmed down. How ridiculous did you look? Maybe it didn't matter. You had your friends with you. You casually looked around to see what everyone else was doing. Rage had his arms above the crowd, even higher than Gus's hair. Through the small gaps between bodies, you could identify Zero moving at about half the speed of the song (apparently, men really can move their hips). Alice was quite skilled, and you wondered if she'd been getting over her introverted nature. For your friends, you would do the same.

The minute of pounding music dragged on. Akira worked his way through the crowd to you and Yuni. She eyed him; he needed about as much help as you did getting into the song. He, too, began to move, mainly at his ankles and by moving his upper body. You quickly started learning moves from him; it was much easier to reference a man than a teenage girl.

With everyone there, you could do it. You could dance without having to think about it; you didn't need some complicated plan to know where to move. All you needed was to know how to have a good time with your friends.

You felt a grin across your face as the song began to die down. After a few lingering beats, S-A-G-A came to an end.

* * *

(Thanks a ton to my DDR buddy Feardancer, my Persona 4-playing reviewer, War; you two were really cool about putting up with my crud for the entirety of the fic. I hope you guys and everyone else liked how it turned out as a whole, now that_ it's finally over_. xD)


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